


Fallen Angel

by RogueTiger



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angel Nicole Haught, Angels, Dreams, F/F, Fallen Angel, Past life, Very temporary death of major character, Wayhaught is endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-19 11:43:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 29,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11897046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueTiger/pseuds/RogueTiger
Summary: Eyes closed, she flew high, feeling the moisture in the clouds beading on her body as she burst through them.  Stilling the motion of her wings she savoured that moment of weightlessness before gravity took hold once more.Set before Nicole's first day on the job, Nicole wakes from a terrifying dream... or was it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this dream pop into my head last night and had to get it down. Was only supposed to be the start of a story but the muses refuse to be silenced.

Eyes closed, she flew high, feeling the moisture trapped within the clouds beading on her body as she burst through them. Stilling the motion of her wings she savoured that moment of weightlessness before gravity took hold once more. Wings tucked in she streaked towards the ground far below like a hawk chasing prey.

The wind whipped across her face and body, stinging her, but she loved it and laughed at it.

At the last possible second, she flexed her wings outwards and spiralled back upwards in a lazy spiral like a dancer spinning on one spot.

She didn’t sense any danger, didn’t see where they came from but one second she was free and the next pain lanced through her body as thick chords of metal wrapped around her, pinning her wings as spikes drove through them and deep into her body.

They dragged her down, her scream of anguish cut short as she slammed into the ground unable to protect herself. Struggling against the cables pinning her, she tried to see through the blood pouring down her face, struggled to get her feet under her, to make sense of what was happening. A booted foot caught her as she got her knees under her, slamming her back to the ground, digging the spiked cable deeper into her back until she felt something give.

Blood burst from her mouth as hands dragged her up and started ripping her wings free from under the pinning cable. She whimpered then, knowing what they were after but in too much pain to do anything about it as they spread her broken wings outwards.

She screamed as dull blades cut at them, slicing through the base of her wings where they joined her back. It wasn’t until she heard the sickening sound of flesh being torn, the popping of muscle and cartilage, and saw her wing drop to the floor, pearly white feathers stained red with blood. Only then did she fall silent as darkness rushed around the edges of her vision and claimed her.

Born a creature of air and beauty, they buried her, anchored by metal and stripped of her wings, deep in the darkest cave they could find. Hiding their shame along with her body as what they had converted and sought fell apart until only a handful of feathers found flight once more, tossed skywards by a careless gust of wind.

Sweat dripping from her body, Nicole threw herself from the covers twisted around her body and tumbled to the bedroom floor. Shaking from head to foot she scrambled backwards across the room before finding her feet and running for the door. She stopped only as her bare feet failed in deep snow and pitched her into it.

Turning on to her back she looked up are the sky and felt that ache deep in her soul as she looked up. Eyes finding a bird in flight, she watched it swoop and soar on the breeze. She envied its freedom.

Climbing to her feet, Nicole trudged back through the snow to her small home, eyes fixed upon the ground she was chained to.

Usually, Nicole found the muted blues and greys of the walls and décor as soothing as looking at a cloudy sky but right then all she could see was the floor beneath her feet and the press of walls beyond the carefully painted hues.

Stripping off her sodden nightclothes, Nicole let them drop to the bathroom floor. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she ran the shower to get the water hot enough. The face was familiar, she had grown up with it, but at the same time, it was like looking at a stranger. Brown eyes and bright red hair shifted as the mirror started to steam up and just for a moment, Nicole saw a more angular face, surrounded by blonde hair and bright blue eyes looking back.

Swiping a hand over the mirror, she watched as the red and brown swam back into view as droplets of condensation ran like tears down the surface of the mirror and dropped into the sink below.

Sighing deeply, Nicole stepped into the shower and let the water warm her body even though it couldn’t reach that part deep inside that ached with every movement or back and shoulders that served as a reminder of something missing that could never have been there. She could feel them though, the shift of muscles, the rise and fall of wings and the whisper of feathers rustling together as she breathed.

She knew what it was like to fly without limits when the nearest she had ever come to experiencing that was free climbing and most of the mountain rescue teams she volunteered with frowned of such recklessness, especially during peak seasons. Nicole was looking forward to testing her limits against the rugged backdrop of her new home once the weather improved and she had time off.

Patience, Nicole, she told herself. She hadn’t even had her first official day on duty yet and already she was looking towards having time off? Sheriff Nedley would be questioning his decision to lure her to join Purgatory’s Sheriff’s Department if he knew.

Hearing a horn outside, Nicole adjusted her utility belt, groaned at the ugly khaki pants and tested out how her shiny new Stetson felt in her hands before setting it atop her head and adjusting it over her tightly wound French braid and taking a look at herself in the mirror by the door.

Absentmindedly, Nicole plucked a pearly white feather out of her hair and put it in her shirt pocket before opening the door ready to start her first day getting to know the citizens she was sworn to protect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there was not meant to be a chapter two -_- My muses need to get back and inspire me with the stories i'm working on instead of getting all angsty with others.

Seeing the lone figure sitting alone in the furthest possible corner away from everyone, Waverly approached slowly, slipping a smile into place ready to greet whoever it was and make sure they didn’t need anything… drink, food, or a person to talk to. Waverly’s smile brightened, anticipation running through her as she caught the glint of light bouncing off red hair.

She had only met the woman once a couple of days before when Sheriff Nedley’s newest recruit, Officer Haught had strode confidently into Shorty’s, Stetson clasped withing long, elegant fingers, to introduce herself.

That one meeting had left Waverly strangely eager for more in a way she had never expected.

Waverly wanted more of that bright smile that had made her realise that dimples were amazingly sexy coming from such a delicate, feminine face. More of those warm brown eyes that had twinkled with humour and smouldered when she had suddenly looked at her so seriously and declared, ‘When I see something I like, I don’t wanna wait’.

Waverly knew flirting. Working the bar at Shorty’s she heard all kinds every day directed her way and at other patrons… hell, she had even heard a few whispered to the pool table and the old jukebox. She just let them roll off her and refused to take them seriously.

Coming from Officer Haught though the light flirting and smouldering looks had struck straight at Waverly’s core and left her breathless in a way no man’s ever had. Which sounded terrible as Waverly was in a relationship with a man, a boy-man, and even if she wasn’t, she was very straight.

Wasn’t she?

She’d always thought so but then… small town, limited dating options.

Biting her lip, Waverly took in the view as she came up behind the redheaded officer. Waverly had thought she looked pretty damn amazing even wearing the ridiculously boxy P.S.D. uniform. Out of it, Waverly could see all her delicate strength laid out by the form-fitting blue shirt she was wearing. The Officer sighed, her shoulders lifting and flexing, pulling the shirt tighter across them.

Waverly ran her hand lightly across her left shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze as brown eyes whipped up to see who had touched her. “Hey,” smiling brightly, Waverly felt the shoulder relax under her touch as those eyes softened from almost black to warm chocolate. “Anything I can get you, Officer Haught? I can put that coffee on for you if you want?”

“I’m off duty, Miss Earp. Please, call me Nicole.”

“Well, Nicole… I am still on duty, unfortunately, but… call me Waverly,” she teased softly. Waverly’s smile slipped, a frown skating across her brow as her words had the unexpected result of making Nicole stiffen again. “I- would you like that coffee? Maybe something else?”

Nicole forced herself to relax. It wasn’t Waverly’s fault that she couldn’t get a hold of her emotions around her. It was just her luck that the first woman she would truly fall head over heels for was straight. Just as it wasn’t Waverly’s fault that she had allowed herself to imagine just for one moment that there had been more to her touch and smile than just her been attentive because it was her job.

“I’m good thanks, Waves,” picking up the bottle of light beer she’d been nursing, Nicole took a small swig and almost choked as Waverly’s tongue slid between the seam of her own lips and dragged across the fullness of her bottom lip, moistening them as her hazel green eyes watched the motion of her throat as she swallowed.

“Careful… here, let me get that for you.” Reaching out, Waverly caught the droplet of beer slipping across Nicole’s lip with her thumb. Nicole’s brown eyes grew wide and a gasped moan burst past parted lips as Waverly sucked it from her thumb made her realise what she was doing. She hid behind a too bright smile and muttered something about not letting good beer go to waste when all she could think about was the taste of vanilla beneath it.

Blinking in shock, Nicole watched with wide eyes as Waverly bounced away from her table. She wanted to get up and follow her, ask just what the hell she was playing at or maybe even just drag her to the room Nicole knew she had above the bar and kiss her. Right then though she was locked in place by the waves of desire messing with her control of her body.

Then she just felt hollowed out and empty as Waverly allowed herself to be swept into the arms of a tattooed man playing pool and returned his slobbering kisses. She knew him, Champ Hardy, Waverly’s boy-man.

Getting her hands up between them, Waverly pushed Champ forcibly back into the arms of his buddies and tried to ignore all the catcalls and whistles that erupted at his actions. Damn him, no matter how after she told him not to grab her like that when she was working, he was always getting wasted and grabby. And more and more she was realising that he didn’t care if it was her he was grabbing or not.

Her eyes flew back to the table where Nicole was sitting. She wanted to anchor herself to something good. But the chair was empty and all that remained was her bottle of barely touched beer.

Racing to the door of the bar, Waverly pulled it open and threw herself outside, looking up and down the street through the swirl of snow for a glimpse of Nicole. She needed to… actually, she wasn’t sure what she needed to do.

Sighing, Waverly started to turn back to the bar when something soft and warm brushed across her cheek. She caught it before it got lost in the snow. A feather?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Calamity Jane and Waverly stuck up a tree.
> 
> -_- they keep popping up and been cute but the dream i had was much, much darker.. oh well, who could so no to Officer Dimples wanting to rescue her lady love?

“Hey! Excuse me! Officer!” Waving frantically to the Stetson a million miles below her, Waverly gave a little shriek and clutched the tree tighter with both hands.

Nicole froze mid-stride and looked around in confusion trying to work out where the familiar voice had come from. She could have sworn it was close but she could see no one around. Stepping back, she looked through the trees wondering if for some reason she was hiding behind the thick trunks. “Waves?”

“Nicole!? Oh, thank god it’s you!” Waverly sagged in relief until she remembered where she was and tightened her grip with a strangled cry clawing up her throat. “Would you… I’m stuck on something… do you think you could… help?!”

Taking off her hat, Nicole looked up into the trees she had been walking under and picked out the figure of one Waverly Earp clinging to the truck in obvious fear and desperation over thirty foot up. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what she was doing but, deciding Waverly would probably fall trying to find something to throw at her, Nicole bit back on her questions until she could get the young woman back on the ground. “Okay, hold on, Waves, I’m coming.”

Waverly would have been tempted to roll her eyes at Nicole’s absurd suggestion to hang on but right then her eyes were closed tight as she tried to hold back a very undignified squeal as she felt the tree sway alarmingly.

What the hell?! Was Nicole trying to shake her out of the tree!?

Keeping an eye on Waverly as well as the way ahead and the best route back down, Nicole quickly made her way through the branches until she drew level with her. Seeing how tense she was, Nicole kept her hands close ready to grab but didn’t touch her in case she only startled her into falling. “Hey, I’m here, Waves. Open your eyes. Can you do that for me?”

Waverly cautiously opened her eyes and felt a wave of relief hit her as she fell into those soft eyes and slightly crooked smile. Nicole’s hands ran over hers reassuringly, warming them with firm but gentle strokes.

“Don’t try to move, Waves. Do you know what you got stuck on?”

“It’s my jacket. Think I got snagged on a branch.”

“I’m going to slide my hand between you and the tree, okay? I got you. I won’t let you fall.” Keeping her eyes on Waverly’s, Nicole slowly eased her hand round until she found where she had got hung up. “Waves, I might need to tug a little. I swear to you, I’m not going to let anything happen. Trust me?”

Unable to trust her voice with how Nicole was looking at her, Waverly settled for giving the smallest of nods then nearly let go of the tree as Nicole’s smile grew even brighter and those damnably wicked dimples flashed at her.

The tug when it came was so gentle that Waverly barely even noticed it… but then, she was still looking between those eyes and dimples and nothing else in the world seemed important.

“Okay,” Nicole smiled gently. “You ready to head on down?”

“Yeah… No, wait! There was a kitten!”

“A kitten?” Nicole frowned slightly in confusion.

“Yeah… don’t think I came up here for the view, do you?” Waverly huffed. “Could you get it first?”

“Okay,” Nicole quickly relented under the brightness of Waverly’s hopeful smile. “Let’s see where it is.” Leaning back, holding on with one hand wrapped around the trunk, Nicole looked up and around until she spotted a tiny ball of ginger. “Well, I can see it but I’ll be getting you down first after all, Waves.”

“Wait, we can’t leave it!”

“No intention of doing that. Looks like it hopped trees. I’m going to have to go down and go up that one so you get to be rescued first. Can you climb on your own or is it okay if I help?”

Waverly made the mistake of glancing down. “Oohhh,” she released a shuddery breath as all the bravado built up from looking at Officer Dimples fled and left her knees locked in fear. “I think… Yup, help, please.”

Making sure to tell Waverly every move she was about to make, Nicole moved around the tree until she was pressed against Waverly’s back. Telling her where to move to, when to let her take the weight of her body, she guided her down until finally, they were both back on the ground. She released a HUFF of surprise as Waverly suddenly spun around and threw her arms around her boy, squeezing the air out of her lungs in her enthusiasm.

Waverly’s heart stilled as Nicole held herself stiffly to attention within her embrace. Then those strong arms that had guided her to safety pulled her closer, and her taller frame curved and relaxed into hers, fitting them together perfectly as Nicole’s cheek came to rest on the top of her head. “Thank you.” Lifting her head, Waverly pressed a quick kiss to Nicole’s cheek.

“Anytime,” she smiled. “Though… I would prefer it if you stayed out of the trees for a while,” winking at Waverly’s mock pout, Nicole stepped away from her warmth and looked up at where the kitten was still clinging on. “Right then kitty… your turn.”

Waverly gawped, there was really no other word for it, as Nicole stripped off her jacket and shirt and fashioned her shirt into a bag and tied it around her slender waist. The sight of her in just her blue tank top with all that pale skin and trim body on display made Waverly want to rip up every overly boxy P.S.D. uniform she could find. If they wanted to fight crime… well, hiding that should be top of the crime list.

As Nicole started to climb… Waverly found out what else the uniforms had been hiding… Nicole was ripped! She made it look so easy but Waverly could see the way the muscles of her back and arms worked… and, as she moved around the trunk and a long stretch lifted her top out of her pants, she also saw how it made her abs work too.

Getting into position, Nicole locked her legs around the trunk to free up both hands and quickly grabbed the kitten by the scruff of the neck before it backed out of reach. Pulling it in close she held it against her, feeling the frantic beating of its tiny heart against her breast. “Okay, shhhh, I got you too. Ow,” she hissed in pain as the kitten proved just how well it had got her too by digging tiny needle-like claws into her and leaving behind a nice set of scratches across the top of her breasts. “Cats,” she grumbled as she secured the kitten up in her shirt and made her way back down to where Waverly was waiting.

Waverly winced as she took in the wicked looking scratches across Nicole’s pale skin and then blushed as she realised what she was doing as she eased the top of Nicole’s shirt aside to look at them better. “Erm, those look… painful. I could get some ointment for them and help put some… I mean you should put some on… yeah.” Trying to compose herself, Waverly tapped at the wiggling bundle trapped securely in Nicole’s shirt. “Troublemaker. Wonder who he belongs to?”

“She… Well, I’m assuming,” Nicole admitted. “Couldn’t see any dangly bits so it’s a girl or too young to have them. Unless you want to look after it I’ll drop it off at the shelter.”

“I would love to but I can’t… Nicole… the shelter isn’t very good here. I’ve been trying for years to get them to go no-kill but they refuse.” Chewing her lip, Waverly looked up at Nicole beseechingly.

God! That look! There was no defence against it! “Okay, I guess she can stay with me,” Nicole sighed in quiet defeat as Waverly beamed at her brightly and started laying out a list of things she would need and even picked out a name for it.

“Calamity Jane!”

Waverly held the still wrapped up kitten as Nicole pulled her jacket on and picked her Stetson up off the ground. “Oh, hold on,” reaching up, Waverly tenderly ran her fingers through the shining softness of Nicole’s red hair and plucked out a feather that had got caught up in it.

Trailing the feather down, Waverly caressed it across the line of Nicole’s jaw in place of the touch she truly wanted to give with fingers and lips. Looking at the softness of Nicole’s mouth, Waverly felt a familiar ache filling her. She stepped closer, feeling the heat rising off Nicole’s body as she raised up on tiptoes.

Gripping Waverly by the tops of her arms, Nicole gently stepped back as a car horn sounded out far too close. It killed her to do so as Waverly’s mouth on hers was something she had been dreaming about since she had first laid eyes on her but… even if she was willing to risk the gossip repercussions of giving into temptation whilst on duty it was unfair to drag Waverly into what her parents had called her ‘perversion’ when the younger woman was only reacting out of relief from being saved.

“I’d better get going and drop Calamity off at home so I can get my shirt back on.”

“Oh… okay,” sighing in disappointment, Waverly ducked her head.

“Hey, I’ll swing by and check on you later… maybe grab a coffee?”

Waverly brightened at the thought of getting to see those dimples again. “I’d like that.” She tapped her lips with the feather as Nicole turned before crossing the street and gave her a small wave and a flash of a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Waverly couldn’t help the smile from spreading across her face as she sneaked up behind Nicole and risked a peek at the computer screen she was staring at so intently. Being as she was at work there was always a risk of seeing crime scene photographs but… well, frankly, the furtive way Nicole was acting said it wasn’t going to be dead bodies she was looking at.

“Well, darn, thought you might be looking at porn,” she teased as she tapped Nicole on the shoulder and made her nearly fall out of her chair in shock.

“Waverly! Fuck me!”

Ohhh, but there were so many things she could say to that. Some teasing, others not so much… if only Nicole’s outburst hadn’t drawn eyes their way she could have seen what response they might have gotten from the puzzle that was Nicole Haught.

And she was a puzzle. The first day she had swaggered into the bar, brimming with confidence as she flirted and introduced herself. Since then though there were moments of flirting and Waverly could see the interest still there in a look or touch. But then she would backpedal like crazy so fast that Waverly was left reeling in confusion.

Even through the confusion though, Nicole had managed to show Waverly the truth once and for all when it came to Champ and her feelings for him… or lack of. He had cheated on her, again, and she just couldn’t find it in herself to actually care anymore. He’d done it so often that his latest betrayal hadn’t even surprised her and the only person she was angry with, was herself for all the times she had caved and let him back into her life because she had believed there were no other options.

Now, Nicole and her backpedalling, that Waverly cared about.

“Sorry, Nic,” gently pressing on her shoulder, Waverly eased her back down in the chair her butt was hovering a good four inches above in shock. “You were looking so guilty I couldn’t resist.”

“Yeah, Sheriff Nedley went out so I thought I would see what was on offer for Calamity before she climbs my curtains again. Are you sure there are no decent shelters that would take her?”

“Nicole Haught, you are not handing our baby over to some shelter!”

“Our so now she’s our baby?” Nicole smiled teasingly as she leaned back in her chair. “And I supposed next you’ll be wanting visitation rights, huh?”

Confidant, flirtatious Nicole was back in force and Waverly loved it! And the zings nervous energy it set off through her body in response. “Hmm,” Waverly tiptoed her fingers across the back of Nicole’s shoulders, the memory the strength beneath the shirt covering them making her ache to see the redhead out of uniform again. “I was thinking I could come over when you get off shift…? Just to make sure you’re not abusing our child. We could order pizza? My treat.” She bit her lip, wondering if she had pushed too far, as Nicole went still just for a second.

“Waves, I know for a fact that there isn’t a decent place in Purgatory that does vegan pizza.”

“You know I’m vegan?” Not even Wynonna seemed to have figured that out even though they had been eating together most nights.

“Well… yeah?” Nicole blinked up at Waverly in confusion.

The way Nicole looked at her as though it was obvious and something everyone should know, made Waverly smile and want to hug her. No one had bothered to notice when her birthday was let alone what she ate.

“I can fix some pasta for you… gluten-free pasta… or a stir fry if you prefer?”

“How did you find somewhere that does gluten-free pasta?”

“Oh, there’s a little speciality store on the other side of the big city,” Nicole rubbed the back of her neck, feeling just a little bit guilty as her only reason for having any, was the woman pushing aside a stack of paperwork to make room so she could sit on the edge of her desk and look at her like… Actually, Nicole wasn’t quite sure how she could describe how Waverly was looking at her without getting her hopes up and her heart broken. “They, erm… well, they didn’t have much in but they’ve got stuff on order for me.”

“Nicole Haught, are you trying to seduce me with vegan goodies?” Waverly watched her own fingers find Nicole’s on the desk. Her heart hammered against her ribs as Nicole’s fingers caressed hers with a delicate brush. Her eyes drifted up, meeting the hopeful heat in Nicole’s.

“Would it work?”

“Well now, that all depends on how well you cook that pasta later,” Waverly drawled softly as she leaned into Nicole’s space. She smiled, thoroughly satisfied as Nicole’s eyes grew hooded and molten, drifting to look at her lips as her tongue darting out to moisten her own lips.

“Waverly, did you find that report I was looking for?”

Waverly straightened back up and managed to toss a smile over her shoulder instead of a growl of the stapler from Nicole’s desk. “On my way, Dolls!”

Nicole stiffened at the strange look in the Deputy Marshalls eyes as he looked at her like a specimen under a microscope for the longest time before he turned on his heel and returned to the B.B.D. offices without another word. “The Deputy Marshal makes me nervous,” Nicole whispered half to herself.

“Dolls? Oh, he’s okay really. Though Wynonna says he needs to loosen the stick out from up his ass a bit more.” She smiled as Nicole struggled to bite back a bark of laughter. “I’d better go. Text me when you’re ready to get off shift?”

“Will do,” Nicole smiled.

“Oh, and Nicole?”

“Hmm?”

“That one there,” she tapped at the screen, “that cat tower got the best reviews,” hopping off the desk she took a couple of steps and spun around, catching Nicole looking at her ass with a look of wonton appreciation on her face. “Hey, do you know when my birthday is?”

“September eighth?”

Grinning, Waverly walked away… deliberately putting a little extra into her hips to elicit a thick moan from Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No feather this time as it takes place not long after the tree climbing... and okay, i wanted to end on that image of Waverly bouncing away ;)


	5. Chapter 5

“Taste this.”

Nicole carefully put the knife down on the chopping board and steeled her nerves for whatever Waverly had in mind for her. She was the one that was supposed to have been cooking for them but Waverly had decided that wasn’t fair and had joined her in her small kitchen. There was barely enough room for one person to make a coffee with the table taking up so much space but they had fit together in there easier than Nicole could ever have dreamed possible.

There was no awkward dancing around, no questions about where anything was. Yeah, cupboard space was lacking but Waverly had just seemed to know exactly where to look for everything and Nicole had found herself relaxing and just enjoying having her there in such a domestic setting.

Not that Waverly wasn’t still a distraction. Space was limited and they brushed together often. And there was the way Waverly’s body looked when she was stretched on tiptoes trying to reach something from a shelf just out of reach that made Nicole not quite sure if she wanted to move everything up a shelf for next time so she could see it more often or put everything where Waverly would be able to reach to make it easier for her.

Next time?

Just the thought had made Nicole ache and nearly cost her a finger to the knife she was preparing a salad with. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had stayed over with her. Couldn’t remember the last time she had wanted anyone to stay over for that matter. And yet there was Waverly Earp, on her first visit to her home, making her want to rearrange her whole life for her.

“Nic,” Waverly chuckled at the expression on Nicole’s face, storing it to her memory to dissect later when she wasn’t trying to get her opinion on the sauce. “Taste,” waving the spoon around, she watched as Nicole’s brown eyes followed the motion and slowly came into focus. “I blew on it already, see.” Pursing her lips, Waverly gave it an extra one. The way Nicole’s eyes focused on her lips and then latched on to her eyes as she tasted the sauce made her breath catch. The husky, ‘perfect’ that seemed to have little to do with what she had tasted, make Waverly want to throw the spoon aside and climb the redhead.

Though climbing her seemed to be someone else’s goal too as Nicole’s face scrunched up at the same moment Waverly heard a tiny plaintive mew. Glancing down, she saw the reason for the sound and Nicole’s discomfort clinging determinedly to Nicole’s pant leg and shimmying her way up her thigh.

Scruffing the kitten, Nicole eased the needle-sharp claws out of her flesh and brought it up to eye level to glower at it. “You sure you don’t want this troublemaker Waves? I’m sure she would get on just fine with your sister.”

“Wynonna would teach our child how to drink shots like it was water and there’s only one redhead I wouldn’t mind seeing tipsy.”

“I’ve been told I’m cute when I’m drunk.”

“I’ll have to test that out some time.” Plucking Calamity out of Nicole’s hands, Waverly snuggled her face into the loudly purring ball of ginger and placed her on to Nicole’s shoulder where she started rubbing against her neck and playing with Nicole’s loose hair. “How’s the salad coming along?” Hand on Nicole’s waist, Waverly leaned closer and checked on everything. “Looks like everything is ready,” she smiled at Nicole’s whimpered moan. “If you grab the drinks I’ll serve up and bring it through.”

“I was the one supposed to be taking care of the food,” Nicole protested lightly.

“You rescued Calamity and myself from a tree… you can do the cooking next time. Now go.” Giving the redhead a gentle push towards the living room, Waverly smiled as her soft grumble was offset by her quick move to do as she’d been asked with a barely hidden smile. She loved the comfort she felt around Nicole. That feeling of rightness coupled with the ever-present tingle of anticipation of more to come.

Nicole felt warm and content in a way that had little to do with the food or beer she had consumed and everything to do with Waverly tucked up against her side. Her head pillowed more on her breast than shoulder, a hand gently curled against her thigh as she pressed sleepily closer.

Part of Nicole felt like she should hate Waverly right then… from the moment she had stepped over the threshold, she had made Nicole’s house feel like a home. And Nicole just knew it was going to feel even more alien and empty once Waverly left.

Falling for a straight girl had to be the single most stupid thing to do… especially in such a small town where there was no way to go a day without seeing everyone at least twice. And that was just normal folk that didn’t work as a sometimes consultant in the offices right across from her desk.

Maybe it was time to ask the Sheriff if she could work the late shift for a while so she could put some distance between them before her heart got even more wrapped up in the ultra-smart and beautiful, Waverly Earp?

And maybe you should stop running your fingers through her hair too? A voice pointed out in her head that she completely ignored.

“Mmmm,” stretching, Waverly pressed closer to the warmth of the body against hers, breathing in the light perfume Nicole favoured. She glanced at her watch, frowning as she saw how late it was. “I- I guess I should probably head out.”

Nicole’s heart sank at the thought. And despite her talk to herself moments before she looked around for a reason to keep Waverly there longer. “Nope, can’t let you leave.”

“No?”

“You’ve had too much to drink, Waves,” Nicole gestured to all the empty bottles of beer on the table before them. “I would drive you but I’ve had too much too. Stay?”

“I could call Wynonna…”

“Waves,” Nicole smiled, “do you think there’s any chance your sister hasn’t had more alcohol than both of us combined?” Waverly’s wry smile was answer where none was needed. “You can have my bed.”

“Going to sleep with me?”

Looking down into the sleep softened hazel of Waverly’s eyes, Nicole drew in a shuddering breath at the thought and dug her nails into her palm to stop herself reaching for her. Not the straight girl! “No, I…” she cleared her throat, trying again, “I’ll use the couch.”

“I’m not going to kick you out of your room, Nic…”

“Waverly. Just… take the bed, okay, please? I’m more used to sleeping on the couch and seeing as you’re already under four blankets with the fire on, I know you’re not going to like how cold it can get down here.” Nicole rubbed Waverly’s shoulder as she shivered at the thought. “I’ll be fine down here,” she quickly assured her before she could think to protest.

Waverly wanted to protest but Nicole was like a woman on a mission as she slipped out from under her and went upstairs to put the heating on ready for her. She was more eager than she had ever been to see another person’s bedroom but seconds after she had gotten up, Waverly just missed the comfort of Nicole’s body.

“Waves.”

Waverly made her way upstairs, following the soft call of Nicole’s voice to the bedroom at the end. The room was lovely… well, Waverly guessed it probably was as from the moment she stepped inside all she could see was Nicole wearing a pair of worn sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt with the sleeves pushed back. With the bathroom light behind her, Nicole’s hair shone like a halo of fire where it tumbled around her shoulders and framed her face.

Waverly nodded, barely even listening as Nicole told her where to find everything and giving her free reign to pick out whatever she wanted to sleep in. “Nic… that’s an awfully big bed,” she waved a hand, gesturing to it. “We… could put a line of pillows between us if you’re afraid I’ll jump you?” she teased. Stepping into Nicole’s personal space, Waverly ran a fingertip across Nicole’s jaw. “Please?” she begged softly, “I don’t want to be alone and I’m going to feel so guilty if you stay down there.”

SAY NO! SAY NO!

“Okay.” Nicole’s head rang with the sound of mental face-palming at her weakness when it came to any kind of a request from Waverly. “Just until you fall asleep.”

Nicole sat down on the edge of the bed, face in her hands once the bathroom door closed behind a far too eager and bouncy Waverly. “You’re an idiot, Nicole Haught,” she muttered to herself.


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of an anguished scream wrenched Waverly from her sleep. Sitting bolt upright she looked around the moonlit bedroom, struggling for the longest moment to work out where she was. Another scream had her head whipping around to the other side of the bed, her hands falling upon the rumpled bedding and cold spot on the mattress where Nicole had been laying before.

Throwing back the covers, Waverly scrambled for the window as she heard the front door slamming open. Through the condensation on the window, she saw a hulking shadow peel away from the house, stretching out across the snow in all directions like giant wings. Fear clawed at her insides and set her hands trembling as she hastily wiped the window clear. “Oh… Shit… Nicole!?”

She hated how her sister had a way of popping up out of nowhere but right then she would have given anything to see her with Peacemaker in her hand to protect them from whatever had made Nicole scream.

Waverly’s heart leapt up into her throat as she saw Nicole collapse to her knees outside and throw back her head, releasing another chilling scream into the night before falling forwards into the snow to lay so still that Waverly feared the worst.

Racing for the door, Waverly was at Nicole’s side before any thought as to what could have had Nicole out there could even come to mind. All she cared about was making sure that she was okay and laying in the snow half naked, her shirt hanging off her in tatters was anything but okay. Falling to her knees beside her, Waverly tried to run her hands over Nicole but the slightest touch had her rolling away and crawling backwards. “Nicole! Hey! Hey, it’s just me! Are you hurt, baby?”

“Waves?”

It was the smallest of whispers, full of pain and confusion but it gave Waverly chance to get close. Running a hand along Nicole’s throat, she gently caressed the tense line of her jaw and encouraged her eyes to focus on her. “Hey,” she whispered softly. “Can you walk? You need to get you out of this snow and I can’t do it alone.”

“Leave me… here… it’s okay,” she mumbled brokenly as she relaxed back into the cradle of the cold snow.

“Not gonna happen. If you stay out here I am too.” Laying on her back at Nicole’s side, Waverly crossed her arms defiantly, looked up at the clear night sky and waited. Within seconds, she felt Nicole start to twitch and knew she was fighting her desire to just stay there and give up and her need to protect. “I hope you’re ready to go in ‘cause I’m cold and I really hate the cold… but I’m not going back in without you, Nic.” A violent shiver wracked her body and seemed to galvanise Nicole into action.

Waverly sat up as Nicole rolled over. She pushed and cajoled, pointing out repeatedly how much she hated been cold as that seemed to work the best until finally Nicole was back to her feet and moving towards the house. Pushing the door shut behind them, Waverly kept Nicole moving towards the stairs and into the bedroom before letting her collapse back onto the bed.

“What happened, Nic?”

“Jus’ a dream.”

Peeling the remains of her shirt off her arms, Waverly held it up. God, it had been torn apart right down the back! What kind of dream did that? “Ahhh, no you don’t! You need to dry off!” Grabbing Nicole’s sweatpants, Waverly tugged them down as Nicole started crawling further up the bed. Darting to the bathroom she gathered up all the towels she could find and started drying Nicole as best as she could, rubbing warmth back into her with determined strokes before seeing to her own sodden clothing.

“Okay, roll,” giving a pop to Nicole’s ass as encouragement, Waverly worked the covers out from under her and pulled them around her shoulders. Perched on the edge of the bed, Waverly watched as Nicole lay there. She looked utterly exhausted but her eyes remained open as though she was too scared to close them. Stroking fingers over and over through Nicole’s hair, Waverly hummed softly under her breath until Nicole’s eyes started to droop.

Nicole murmured softly, her brow creasing as Waverly rose from the edge of the bed. Opening up one of the drawers, Waverly reached in blindly, not wanting to take her eyes off Nicole even to look for a shirt. Feeling the brush of softness against her searching fingers, Waverly looked down and blinked in surprise as she took in the sight of all the white feathers that took up most of the drawer space. “What the…”

Picking up a handful, she watched as they drifted back down with a shimmer of colour. Keeping an eye on Nicole, Waverly moved over to her clothing and pulled the feather she had plucked out of Nicole’s hair out of her jacket. The same? Were they the same?

A pitiful whimper from Nicole had Waverly hurriedly tucking the feather back into her jacket and climbing into bed to comfort her as she started twitching more as though been dragged back to hell. Tossing the wall of pillows that Nicole had put between them aside, Waverly wrapped herself around her and held her close.

She didn’t care that they were both naked.

She didn’t care about the collection of strangely beautiful feathers.

She didn’t even care about what she thought she had seen in that shadow.

The only thing that Waverly cared about was the woman relaxing into her embrace and holding her back like she was the most precious thing in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

Waverly gave a languid stretch against the body curled around hers as the sun started to brighten the bedroom. Eyes closed she smiled and she nuzzled her nose into the soft vanilla scented hair. She knew the scent and knew the soft feminine curves of the body. The first part of their night together hadn’t hinted at Nicole been such a hugger though. Until whatever it was had happened, Nicole had put herself behind a barrier of pillows and had turned her back on Waverly as though she was afraid to touch or be touched.

The memory of the scream that had awoken her, finding Nicole out in the snow looking broken and lost… it made Waverly tighten her hold on the woman in her arms and stroke the warm curve of her muscled back to soothe herself.

A very naked muscled back, she realised with a small wiggle and mental check that, yep, they were both naked. It had meant nothing at the time. All that had been on her mind was providing comfort. With the first light of the day though it meant a lot… but not for any bad reason. At least not in her eyes. Not as her body gave that jump where everything felt like it was moving fast within her and slowing down at the same time. Heart pounding with excitement, blood feeling as thick as warm honey in her veins as her pulse resounded through her body.

Yeah, she had it bad for Officer Nicole Haught.

She thought Nicole might feel the same way too… when she wasn’t doing the back peddling. Not that there was any of that going on right then though as Nicole's nose and lips nudged at the breast she was using as a pillow and skimmed across the hardened bud of a nipple. The sensation of Nicole’s warm breath against her made Waverly’s body clench in need, a soft moan bursting from her parted lips before she could hold it back.

Feeling Nicole stir towards wakefulness more, Waverly had a moment to decide whether to pretend to be asleep or not. If it was Champ in the bed he would have just done what he wanted whether she was really asleep or not but Nicole… Waverly had the feeling that Nicole’s noble side would kick in big time so she kept her eyes open to take away the option from both of them of pretending that they weren’t naked and entwined as Nicole pushed herself slowly up off her body and looked at her.

Or more precisely as she looked down and what her head had been resting upon and gave an audible whimper that, coupled with the twitch of her body, gave Waverly hope. Running fingers across the nape of Nicole's neck, Waverly spun her fingers through the soft hair and smiled into the molten chocolate of her wide-eyed expression. “Hey, baby.”

“Waves! I-” Nicole wasn’t sure what was going to come out of her mouth right then… an apology for been naked? One for ogling her? Whatever it was, was stolen along with her strength as Waverly lifted her head and stole her breath with a tentative but hungry kiss. Aided by her hand upon her neck, Waverly’s mouth followed hers as Nicole forced herself to draw back, lips teasing and caressing, tongue sliding across her lower lip in a move that touched things far deeper and set Nicole’s hips canting against the younger woman. “Wait, Waverly, wait,” her voice came out in a throaty whisper that Nicole barely even recognised as her own.

“I want you, Nicole,” dragging her hand across Nicole’s side, Waverly held her from pulling back with her touch and voice. “I… I have no idea what the hell I’m doing…”

Nicole gave a sound that was part laugh and moan as Waverly’s touch set fire to the kindling of her control and burned away at it. “Oh, I’m sure you do,” she whispered.

“I don’t though, Nic. I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone before… It scares me how much and how quickly. And I’m afraid that I will disappoint you… If you want me too that is?”

“If?” Groaning, Nicole let her body settled against Waverly’s, a shudder of need running through her as it sank in that the gorgeous woman that had stolen her heart wanted her too.

“Shush, trying to seduce you here.”

“Oh, by all means,” Nicole grinned, curling her hips into the cradle of Waverly’s body, “seduce away.”

“Oh god,” she moaned, “now I can’t think straight.”

“A problem I’ve had my how life,” Nicole teased. “There’s no rush though, Waves. You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready. I would never ask that of you. And if you never want to do anything… that’s okay too.”

“Oh no, you are not back peddling on me again,” Waverly narrowed her eyes in warning as she felt Nicole wrapping herself back in that noble packaging that was as tightly wound as the French braid she favoured on duty. “I can’t think because when I look at you… and when you do that thing with your hips… yes, that one,” she moaned as Nicole circled into her again. “I want everything at the same time and I just don’t know where to start first.”

“Kid in a candy store, huh?”

“Yeah,” Waverly chuckled.

“Well, you’re in luck. Excuse me sounding corny but… this candy store is all yours… and it kisses back.” Brushing a thumb across the fullness of Waverly’s bottom lip, Nicole shivered as the tip of Waverly’s tongue darted out to taste her.

“Mmm, you always smell of vanilla… taste of it too,” smiling at the heated look of need in Nicole’s eyes, Waverly nipped at the pad of her thumb. “It’s my favourite.”

Nicole’s brain stuttered and shut down as Waverly’s lips wrapped around her thumb and sucked it deep into the heat of her mouth. Pulling her thumb loose from the suction of Waverly’s talented mouth and tongue, Nicole moved in for a kiss.

Her head dropped, a heartfelt groan rumbling up her throat as her alarm chose that moment to go off. “Damn it to hell!” Reaching out she slammed a fist down on the offending item. “Waves, I don’t want our first time to be a quickie.”

Sighing, Waverly pulled her closer, savouring the warmth of her body and the regret in her voice. “How long until we have to leave?” Hopefully, there would be a couple more minutes before Nicole had to go on duty.

“Hmm, need to be out of the house in an hour. What?” she asked in confusion at the incredulous expression on Waverly’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes... i'm a tease ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Under the pretence of getting coffee for everyone, Waverly left the B.B.D. offices and followed Nicole into the small break room that they shared. The sight of Nicole on her hands and knees reaching for something under a table gave her the chance to admire just how well the khaki pants that Nicole grumbled about, stretched across her hips and the curve of her ass. It also stilled her heart though as it reminded her of seeing Nicole out in the snow.

It was something they hadn’t had the chance to talk about as Waverly had managed to persuade Nicole that an hour was at least long enough for some intense making out even if she hadn’t been able to shake her on the opinion that she needed longer than an hour for a quickie! From what Nicole had told her, Waverly was thinking she would have to have at least a week off work to recover from what her girlfriend had planned.

Her girlfriend… the thought made her grin.

“You okay there, baby?”

Straightening up in shock, Nicole released a huff as her head bumped into the underside of the table. Rubbing her head, Nicole gave Waverly a smile over her shoulder. “Just dropped a spoon,” she chuckled. “Not sure when it was last cleaned in here but I think I just saw a piece of pizza wink at me from the corner.”

“Pre Wynonna then… There’s no way she would let food escape. I think it’s against her religion”

“I would think you were joking but I’ve seen her with a donut and I swear she was speaking in tongues.”

Moving closer, Waverly ran her fingers around the collar of Nicole’s shirt, smoothing down the creases as she stood up. She ached to move closer still, to feel their bodies together again but she was all too aware that the station was too busy right then for more than just light flirting. It didn’t stop her fingers from lingering to play in the warmth just under her French braid though. Feeling softness brush against her fingers, Waverly found another feather tucked amongst the red of her hair. “What is it with you and these feathers?” she asked as she twirled it between her fingertips.

“Feathers?”

Waverly ran the tip of it along Nicole’s nose. Her teasing fell away as she watched the way Nicole’s eyes followed the movement of the feather as though she was mesmerised by it. “Do you want it?”

“Huh? What…? No. Why? It’s just a feather.”

Waverly dropped it into the bin and watched again as Nicole’s eyes followed it with an almost pained expression as it drifted down out of sight. “Nic…”

“Waverly! Forget the coffee! You ready to roll, baby girl?”

Waverly hid her exasperation as her sister swung around the door with an exuberant grin on her face.

“Hey there Haughtstuff! Come on Waves!”

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Waverly skimmed her fingers across Nicole’s jaw, missing her even before she’d left the room. Hearing another bellow from Wynonna, Waverly darted from the room before she could give into the temptation to barricade herself and Nicole in there. Waverly took one last glance over her shoulder and frowned as she saw Nicole lean down to pull the feather from the bin and slip it into her shirt pocket.

That look was on her face again… dazed and confused… a pale ghost of the one on her face when she had lain in the snow.

Sitting in the back of the SUV, Waverly was distracted from pondering about Nicole and the feathers as Nicole’s cruiser flashed by them, quickly followed by the Sheriff’s and all the others of the P.S.D. “What’s going on?”

“Baby girl, weren’t you listening?”

“Well, yeah, I’m to take photos of all the people at the trailer park while you and Dolls check the place out.”

“Apparently, we need protection and a distraction though. Personally, I think I should just go in there and put them all down with Peacemaker and have done with it.”

“Earp! I’ve told you, B.B.D. needs proof of the Revenants and we can’t give that to them when you keep sending them to hell!”

“It’s the Earp curse, Dolls… I’ve got to put them all down or if I die before they are they all pop up like daisies again!”

“By the book, Earp! Do as I say and get me some proof I can use for once!”

Wynonna stared at the Deputy Marshal, taking in the sweat beading his brow even though it was a typical Purgatory early spring day… fucking cold and snowy. She had seen people strung out on drugs before and Dolls looked like someone missing their fix. “Dolls…”

“Not now, Earp! Waverly, while they’re distracted by the cops, find somewhere high to take photos from and try not to draw attention to yourself.”

“Stay safe out there, baby girl.”

“You can count on me.” Slipping out of the S.U.V., Waverly made her way to a stack of scrap cars and climbed up them. As she looked around, snapping photos of everyone she could, Waverly found herself searching through all the P.S.D. uniforms looking for a familiar figure. Eventually, she found it… closer than she expected as Nicole was wearing a groove in a strip of dirt on the outside of the trailer park land.

Waverly couldn’t help herself. Even though she had a job to do… which she was doing. Whenever there was a break in the activity in the trailer park, she turned the camera on Nicole, capturing every expression, the serious line of her jaw when she tilted her head, her long stride, the adorable way she kept holding on to the front of her utility belt. The glint of sun off brown eyes as she glanced up at her and pointed a finger back towards trailer park.

“What?”

Hunkering down, Waverly peeked back where she should have been looking and saw Bobo Del Rey emerge from his trailer and start a hushed but obviously strained conversation with another man. Eyes went dark and flashed with red as a sneer twisted his face.

Even with the distance between them and her hidden position, Waverly nearly let out a squeal of fear as he suddenly turned and looked in her direction. She felt sure that she had been spotted as he stalked towards her but it was towards Nicole he moved as her new girlfriend drew his gaze and attention by walking across his path.

Waverly bit her lip, fear rising up for the Officer as Bobo kept pace with her, trying to get a look at the face beneath the pale Stetson. She wanted to shout for Wynonna or just leap down and grab Nicole’s gun herself to defend her as the vile man stalked along looking at her like a starving wolf looked at a defenceless deer.

Anger burned away the fear as Bobo scented the air between them and moved as though to touch her. His hand froze though, something that looked like fear to Waverly passing across his eyes. She could see his mouth moving as he spoke to Nicole but they were too far away for her to catch more than an occasional word.

“I know you Officer…” tilting his head, moving as close as he could without touching her, he read the name upon her badge. “Haught.” He closed his teeth on her name with a snap like he was trying to bite it. “Nice to see the Sheriff is finally getting some better-looking help in. Won’t you come join the others, Haught?” Stepping aside he made a sweeping gesture with his arm but Nicole remained where she was, pacing the line. “Hmmm, I guess there really are places that angels fear to tread,” he hissed mockingly.

Waverly inched back as Bobo moved back towards her position and started to look up again.

“Mr Del Rey!”

Waverly shivered at the power in Nicole’s voice and risked a glance back over the edge. Bobo had turned again, focussed upon Nicole, a growl rising up to raise the hairs on Waverly’s body as he saw her stepped over the line and on to his land.

“Impossible,” he growled.

“I believe you are wanted back at your trailer, Mr Del Rey.”

Waverly wanted to climb down and rush to Nicole’s side as Bobo stalked away muttering something under his breath about ‘maybe not so much fear after all’. But stepping back into position, Nicole made a quick ‘stay down’ gesture with her hand before returning to her restless pacing… drawing eyes to her and away from her position, Waverly realised.

Feeling secure with her girlfriend keeping watch, Waverly picked the camera back up and focussed on Bobo’s retreating back as he moved back to his trailer where Wynonna and Dolls were waiting for him. From the look on Wynonna’s face, she was itching to just get it all over with and was seconds away from drawing Peacemaker. It was Dolls’ eyes that made fear run through Waverly again though. It was a look that would have been chilling if it had been focussed upon Bobo… only it wasn’t… his eyes had gone from cold blue to the hellish red and black and they were locked squarely upon Nicole.


	9. Chapter 9

Nicole moaned into the mouth caressing hers, her hips rising into the cradle of Waverly’s thighs pressed either side of her own. Feeling an urgent tugging, Nicole lifted her arms, their lips breaking apart only long enough for Waverly to tug her top off before it was on hers again with even more urgency as she pressed their bodies together.

All day she had been telling herself to slow it down between them. To take the younger Earp out on a couple of dates or something… anything just to make sure a relationship with a woman was something she truly wanted and not some passing fancy. Nicole’s resolve had started to crumble the moment she had answered the urgent knocking on her door and found Waverly waiting there with a wild glint in her eyes and her breasts heaving under her coat.

The tattered remains of her resolve had been tossed aside as Waverly had pushed her back into the house, locked the door and launched herself upon her on tiptoes. With her hands clutching her shoulder and the back of her neck, Waverly had marched her backwards across the room without breaking contact between their mouths even as they tumbled onto the couch in a tangle of limbs.

Nicole felt molten with need. Every touch, every kiss and caress from Waverly made her soar and ache until she felt like she was about to come apart. “Waves…”

“So help me, Nicole, if you ask me if I’m sure while I’m sitting on you nearly topless… in fact, does this help?” Reaching back, Waverly unfastened her bra. A lusty moan burst from Nicole’s kiss-swollen mouth as the straps sagged, her hips canting up wildly again as she let it fall and dropped it to the floor. Nicole’s eyes were wild and hungry, filling Waverly with confidence and more desire than she’d ever thought possible as she looked at her.

Head falling back, Waverly moaned as Nicole’s long fingers traced up her waist and ribs, pressing just right into needy flesh as they fluttered in need before gently cupping her breasts. Her long fingers teased her nipples, finding just the right pressure and way to tease as though she had known all along. Waverly cried out, fingers grabbing for purchase as Nicole wrapped her lips and tongue around her other nipple, lathing and nipping at it, sucking it deep and hard as her arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her hips closer to meet the thrusting of hers until Waverly couldn’t even see through the pleasure.

Wrapping a hand up in the soft fall of Waverly’s hair, Nicole grinned as she pulled her head back and took in the drunk on desire look on her face. She ran her tongue along Waverly’s throat, following the gasp of pleasure to her parted mouth. “What I was going to say before you whipped your top off… was that we need to take this upstairs. For what I want to do to you… with you, it will be more comfortable… and there will be more room to stretch out.”

Waverly grinned, her whole body spasming against Nicole’s at the heat and promise in her eyes and the realisation that the beautiful redhead under her had no intention of stopping. “In that case…” Leaning into the heat of her, Waverly slipped her hands behind her, digging her fingers into the muscles of her back as she nipped at the pulse in her neck. She loved that just that was enough to make Nicole’s hands fall to her waist and set her fingers trembling against her again. “Race you!”

Nicole blinked as Waverly hopped off the couch with an utterly wicked and seductive look on her face as she raced towards the stairs. As she moved to follow Nicole let out a laugh as she realised that, somehow, Waverly had managed to very skilfully remove her bra without her even noticing.

She found Waverly standing in the middle of her bedroom, a look of almost panic on her face as she stared at the bed. “Hey, it’s okay, Waves…” running her hands across her shoulders, Nicole pressed a tender kiss against her shoulder. “No pressure, remember. If you’re not ready…”

Stepping out of the gentleness of Nicole’s touch, Waverly turned to face her, running her eyes over the pale perfection of the redhead's breasts and how they heaved, the pale dusky coloured nipples hardening under the weight of her gaze. “Nicole, I want you so damn much and it scares me a little as I’ve never felt like this with anyone before. But… I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am of you… of us.” Hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, Waverly delighted in Nicole’s tremulous whimper as she pushed them down and off.

Legs shaking, Nicole closed the gap between them. With her last ounce of control, she rested her forehead against Waverly’s. “You are so beautiful, Waverly.”

Waverly was seriously starting to wonder if she was going to have to tackle Nicole again and knock some of the controlled nobility off her when Nicole suddenly gave a wicked grin and dipped down. Waverly gasped as Nicole’s hands grasped the back of her thighs and she found herself lifted off the floor with ease, her legs supported and wrapped around Nicole’s waist as she carried her towards the bed and lowered her gently down to the mattress.

Waverly pulled Nicole down with her, moaning at the feel of Nicole’s weight between her thighs and the softness of their breasts coming together. Needing more, Waverly tugged on the waistband of Nicole’s pants, helping her slide them and her panties off at the same time. Their naked bodies touching completely again feels new and exciting and like coming home at the same time.

Their bodies moved together, finding a rhythm, soft and gentle, that left them gasping and wanting more. Lips and hands touched and explored, building the need within them over and over as they learned each other’s bodies until exhaustion finally started to claim them.

Nails digging into the muscles of Nicole’s back, Waverly set her teeth into her shoulder, crying out her pleasure as they shuddered together and slowly collapsed. She felt tears of joy sting her eyes, a soft laugh bubbling up at the beauty of their lovemaking. “Wow,” she breathed softly against Nicole’s jaw.

“Need me to move?”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Good, don’t want to an’ don’ think I can anyway,” Nicole admitted sleepily.

As Nicole settled against her, her breathing slowing as sleep claimed her, Waverly ran her fingers up and down her back. She’d never thought herself as having a thing for backs but, much like the rest of her, Nicole’s kept drawing her touch. She loved the delicate play of muscles built up from the climbing she did or used to do until she tore her shoulder up. Her skin was so soft under her hands, so feminine.

As she drifted towards sleep with the musk of their love and the delicate scent of vanilla filling the air, Waverly decided what she really loved about Nicole’s back was the delicate downiness of feathers across her shoulder blades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIGH! Wish i was better at scenes like that... WayHaught deserve better but i always end up blushing too much.


	10. Chapter 10

Deputy Marshal Dolls looked up from his paperwork and watched as Wynonna’s little sister sidled out of the office and made her way over to where Officer Haught was sitting rubbing her shoulder. Recent events had had him looking up all he could find of the redheaded officer and he knew that the shoulder she was rubbing was the one she had had surgery on after someone she had been rescuing on a climb had panicked and got her tangled up in the ropes. Despite the damage, she had managed to get them both to safety before she had collapsed.

She was brave and quite obviously in love with Waverly. A love he could see returned even without the evidence playing out in front of his eyes as Waverly replaced Nicole’s hands with her own and rubbed at her shoulders until the Officer gave a moan Xavier could hear all the way from his desk.

What concerned him though was what he felt from her. When he had first met her she had felt… normal. But every day the feeling was changing. He wasn’t sure if it was his control of his own demon slipping or if it was something to do with Nicole but he could taste that part of her in the air that wasn’t normal, wasn’t human.

He wasn’t sure what she was but he had seen how Bobo Del Rey had reacted to her too. The fear in his eyes made Xavier wonder if Nicole was something worse or just something that Revenants feared? Was she a friend to them or an enemy just trying to get closer? Could she even be the answer he was looking for that would get Black Badge off his back and his medicine returned?

Every day it was getting harder to think, harder to control himself. But they didn’t care about that, they just wanted specimens to experiment on and Wynonna just kept blowing them all to hell.

Seeing Waverly and Nicole making their way to the break room, Xavier kept an eye on the door and made his way over to the desk Waverly used. Pulling open the drawers he went through everything he could find. Ever since the failed raid of the trailer park she had been acting secretive.

Finding an envelope stuck in the back of the drawer, his heart lifted in anticipation until he found it was just full of A4 photographs of Nicole from that day. Obviously, Waverly had been feeling guilty about misusing B.B.D. equipment to take photos of her lady love.

A folded piece of paper slipped out from between the A4 pages. Opening it he stared at the feathers hidden within it and at the sketch upon the folded paper of a shadowy humanoid figure with outstretched wings.

Hearing voices growing closer, Xavier quickly put everything back where it had been and returned to his desk just as two familiar shadows stopped outside and talked quietly.

“So, are you coming over later?” Running a finger over Nicole’s jaw, Waverly leaned in just a little closer, wishing she could replace fingers with her lips.

“To the homestead?”

“Yeah, thought maybe I could cook you a meal there for a change whilst Wynonna’s got plans.”

“As tempting as that is, I can’t tonight, baby,” sighing regretfully, Nicole softened her rejection of Waverly’s plans by letting her regret play out in her eyes. “Sheriff is letting me off early to take Calamity to the vets in the city for a check-up but only as long as I come back and go through my paperwork.”

“So I don’t get to see you tonight?”

“Now, I didn’t say that. All being well I could swing by when I’m done and bring you dessert?” Nicole smiled, biting her lip at the flare of interest in her girlfriend's eyes.

“Hmm, something vanilla scented?”

“That can be arranged,” Nicole chucked. “I’d better get back to work, Nedley will be back in soon.”

Waverly snagged Nicole’s hand before she would move away. “Nicole… I- I like you.”

Feeling the meaning beneath her words, and the way Waverly smiled shyly and ducked her head, Nicole smiled and caught her chin with a finger. “I like you too.” Not caring right then if the whole world could see, Nicole skimmed a soft kiss across Waverly’s lips. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

Waverly jumped as she opened the door to the B.B.D. offices and found Dolls’ staring at her. “Dolls! I thought you were out with Wynonna.”

“Not today. In fact. I need to leave for two or three days, research. Let her know I’ve gone for me?”

“Yeah… sure,” Waverly stared after him in amazement as he snatched up his jacket and weapon, and left. The look he gave Nicole on the way out sent chills down her spine again and made Waverly want to rush out and shield Nicole from him.

What in the hell was wrong with him lately?

Taking one more long look at Nicole, Waverly gave her a little wave and returned to her desk. Taking the newest of the feathers plucked from Nicole’s hair in the break room, she twirled it between her fingers, admiring the dance of light upon it and the scent of vanilla as she ran it beneath her nose. Fishing a book out of her purse she sat back, flicking through the pages of the old book as she lost herself in her research.


	11. Chapter 11

Eyes closed, Waverly leaned back into the warm cradle of Nicole’s lean frame as her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her from behind to protect her from the cold evening air as they stood on the porch. They were safer at the homestead as no Revenants could step foot on the land but there were so many bad memories hanging over the place that sometimes, especially if she was alone, Waverly didn’t feel all that safe.

She had tried the research thing to occupy her mind but not even absorbing everything she could read about Angels and other kinds of Supernatural winged humanoids had stopped her mind from wondering.

Was she really trying to work out if her new girlfriend was an angel? Sure, she had a strange fascination for shimmering white feathers and a sizeable collection of them in a drawer but… an angel? In a way, it made sense that if there were demons that Wynonna could send to hell that there would be something from the other side, right?

If one was possible then why not the other?

But Nicole?

She didn’t want to describe her as ‘normal’ that sounded wrong as Nicole was so… Nicole! So downright nice that she had seen her leave the station to go help old Mrs Hatton across the road with her groceries. And even after the roughest of days, she would take the time to chat with anyone that needed it. Once all that attention was on her though, it Waverly fell like she was the centre of Nicole’s world with how focussed Nicole would become. It had been that way from the moment Nicole had stepped into her life all ‘hey, this is me, I’m gay and I more than like you, how about a coffee?’

The ‘normal’ label came because after months of red-eyed Revenants and other evil shit tickets trying to kill them… normal was good.

And yet, here she was, suspecting very strongly that her ‘normal’ gorgeous and attentive girlfriend was anything but ‘normal’. She was still one of the good guys though. No matter what she was, human, angel, or something else… Waverly was sure of that.

“Hey, baby.” Smiling softly, Waverly placed her hands over Nicole’s, linking their fingers together as she delighted in the warmth of Nicole’s lips against the side of her throat and jaw. Turning in Nicole’s embrace, Waverly rose up on tiptoes so she could sip at her lips. “Mmm, vanilla.”

“Waverly Earp… you have got a strange fascination with vanilla,” Nicole chuckled gently against the softness of Waverly’s mouth.

“Only ‘cause you smell of it… and taste of it.” Closing her teeth into the softness of Nicole’s lip, Waverly sucked and nibbled gently and salved the small bite with a sweep of her tongue that left Nicole whimpering and clutching her closer.

It was so very tempting to drag Nicole to her room, or to the nearest available surface that wouldn’t have them freezing to death. But Wynonna turning up to interrupt was a very real possibility. Waverly loved her sister but she had an uncanny ability to turn up at the worst moment for Waverly’s libido and peace of mind. Especially as what Wynonna saw as their ‘friendship’ had her apparently determined to pick at Nicole to work out what made her tick. Maybe the fact that Nicole hadn’t snapped and found a reason to throw Wynonna’s sarcastic ass into jail had been a sign that she wasn’t ‘normal’ all along.

“Hmm, any idea when Wynonna will be home?”

“Too soon for you to get your idea of a quickie in, Miss two hours, and knowing my luck, too soon for one of mine too. As long as Wynonna didn’t see you buying those donuts I can smell we should have long enough for a bit of on the couch fumbling under the blankets.”

“We need to get some thicker blankets or a comforter so I can find you quicker.”

Following the gentle tugging of Nicole’s hands, Waverly followed her back inside and smiled as she saw that Nicole had already set up a nest of blankets for them on the couch and Calamity Jane was already curled up amongst them. “And how did our baby do at the vets?”

“Clean bill of health despite her snuffles and she got her first shots which she was not impressed with. And apparently, _your_ child is as super bendy as you ‘cause I left her in her carrier.” Nicole smiled softly as Calamity sleepily rubbed her cheek against Waverly’s fingers and purred all the louder for her attention. Nicole knew how C.J. felt though… Waverly could make her purr with a touch too. “You get warm and I’ll grab some drinks. What do you fancy?”

“You? Okay… maybe a drink of chocolate too,” she grinned. Waverly watched as Nicole shrugged out of her jacket and rolled the sleeves up on her shirt as she walked through to the small kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Waverly tucked the book she had been reading further out of sight. Curious though, she left the feather out on the table along with a plain white bird feather. She had more of the shimmering, vanilla scented ones so it wouldn’t be too much of a loss and she really wanted to see what Nicole would do.

Waverly closed her eyes, running her fingers through the silky softness of Calamity’s fur as she curled up on her lap. The sounds of Nicole moving around the kitchen and the scent of hot chocolate wafting towards her, made Waverly smile. With all the chaos in their lives, it made her savour the everyday things like she never had before.

Hearing the tread of feet across the old worn floorboards, Waverly tilted her head back instinctively, meeting the softness of Nicole’s lips as they brushed across hers. As Nicole put the mugs down and the box of donuts, Waverly flipped the blankets back ready and watched.

Nicole’s back stiffened, her breathing stilling. Waverly saw the direction of her eyes and knew they were latched on to the feathers. She couldn’t get a clear look at her eyes but what she saw was a battle between fascination and pain that made her face pale and the small scars around her left eye and cheek stand out in stark relief.

Long fingers picked up the feathers and she moved over to the fireplace without a word. Waverly wondered if she was actually going to throw them into the flames but the plain feather she placed on the mantel and the shimmering one… even though there was nothing in her eyes as she turned to say Nicole was even aware of her actions… Waverly saw her slip it into her shirt pocket.

Nicole’s shoulders lifted, back flexing beneath the unflattering lines of her P.S.D. shirt. It was a move that Waverly loved to see as even with the shirt in the way it made her all too aware of the muscles beneath it. This time though it was different as the back of her shirt stretched like something was pressing the fabric from the other side, straining to get out.

It was over so quickly that Waverly almost thought it a trick of the light. She had been brushing too much off as a trick of the light or just been too worn out from making love though. She wanted answers.

Nicole turned towards her. Once the feather was out of sight her whole expression brightened once more and her dimples came out to play as she moved back towards the couch. “Any chance I can persuade you to ditch the shirt? The patches are scratchy.”

Nicole tilted her head to one side and almost pointed out that Waverly been able to feel the patches on her shirt were pretty slim with all the layers she was wearing. But… her girl wanted the shirt gone and who was Nicole to deny her request.

As Nicole joined her on the couch and pulled the blankets up over them both, Waverly ran her eyes and hands over her back. Not that she really needed to touch, even with her undershirt on it was obvious that there was nothing there… other than a shapely back with muscles for days covered in soft, warm, tempting, pale skin.

Slipping a sleeping Calamity back into her carrier, Waverly pulled Nicole into her embrace for a deep and hungry kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, our little angel??? cinnamon roll will be okay... eventually.

Nicole smiled, her heart swelling as she heard a vehicle pulling up outside. Where she lived was well away from anyone… Which given recent activities in the bedroom… and just about every other room in the house was a good thing. The seclusion though meant that a car pulling up could only be for her house.

Multiple vehicles though…? That made Nicole’s cop senses twitch into overdrive as she heard more vehicles pull up and doors opening and slamming shut again in rapid succession.

Easing aside the edge of a curtain, Nicole cursed under her breath and reached for her gun as she watched the black-clothed figures moving closer with all the bearing and subtlety of trained mercenaries. A look that was backed up by the weapons in their gloved hands and the balaclavas covering their faces. She cursed again, a bit more vehemently as she remembered belatedly that she’d already locked it and her spare piece away.

“Dolls?” Nicole froze, shock racing through her at the sight of the Deputy Marshal climbing out of one of the blacked out S.U.V.’s pulling a balaclava down to cover his own face. “Not good! So beyond not good!”

Leaving the window, Nicole moved towards the kitchen where her gun safe was but she could see them through the back door there too as they surrounded her house. “Should have taken the apartment in town, Nic!”

Grabbing a knife from the block, Nicole shot back out of the kitchen and ran for the stairs as glass rained in as one of the thugs took the glass out of the back door with a well-placed elbow. Her one hope was making it to the bedroom closet where the backup to her backup piece was hidden.

A hand grabbed her collar as she made the stairs. Yanking her back and sending her spinning across the floor. Using the momentum and getting a lucky blow in, she managed to give one of the ones coming in through the kitchen a nice gash to the leg to give them something to think about as she tried to scramble past through the kitchen.

Another grab and Nicole found herself airborne, sailing over the couch. Pain burst through her ribs as she landed right on the coffee table. “Damn it, have you any idea how long it takes to put stuff together from Ikea?” she coughed defiantly.

A kick to the ribs made her rethink all the time spent picking up a sassy attitude from Wynonna. Something made a popping sound and Nicole looked down at the tranquillizer dart sticking out of her leg. “Son of a bitch!” Pulling it out, Nicole looked at it and tried to fight the wooziness trying to take her over. She clawed her way back to her feet, using one of the men for leverage. Grabbing for his face, she yanked his balaclava off. “Why, Dolls?”

He watched as Nicole started to slide down, her hand tangling in his clothes as she tried to stop herself. The shot she had taken should have put her out instantly but she was fighting it.

“Get her out of here and secure! I want her back at B.B.D. and contained as soon as possible!”

Following as they dragged Nicole out of her house, Dolls fought the urge to protest as they threw her down to the ground. He was so far out of the good graces of anyone there that if he tried to help, it would only make it worse for her.

“What are those?” Dolls looked on in horror as Nicole screamed and thrashed about as they wrapped a length of spiked chains around her body and pulled them tight. Blood stained her clothing as the spikes dug deep and he could smell an acrid burning as smoke rose up from them.

“Iron chains soaked in fresh Demon blood,” smiling in satisfaction, Lucado watched as the redhead started to collapse under the weight of them. “Good for all manner of supernatural things. But… if she is who you think, they’re the same ones that held her in the ground for all those years. Well done, Agent. With a specimen like this, we should be able to move on soon.”

“Move on? What about the Revenants? The curse?”

“A curse you have given me no proof of! But, assuming what you told us is true and they can’t even leave the triangle… they’re useless to us,” she waved a hand dismissively. “No, time to wrap it up around here I think. Tighten those chains and for god's sake… someone silence her!”

Grabbing the rifle off the nearest guard, Dolls moved closer before anyone else could and stared down into wild, pain-filled eyes. She looked at the gun in his hands and struggled determinedly to her knees, teeth gritted to hold back the screams as her skin burned. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to the barrel, begging with her eyes for him to pull the trigger and end the pain.

Dolls’ finger tightened on the trigger. It would be a kindness to do as she was asking. No matter what she was, Nicole deserved that much at least. But if he did…

Spinning the weapon around, Dolls slammed the butt into her unprotected temple and watched as she collapsed to the ground, defeated and quietened by his betrayal. Her lips moved, tracing into a name, ‘Waverly’, as blood from the fresh wound mingling with the tears flowing from her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> charzbeirne made me do it!  
> Though it's not as good as suggested ;) that kept me chuckling for hours trying to work out just how to get Wynonna poking around in Nicole's drawers.

“Thanks for the lift ‘Nonna.”

“You sure are spending a lot of time with Haughtstuff. You two best buddies now?” Wynonna teased.

“Erm, just doing some research… Yeah, research.”

“Research huh? Need any help?” The last time she had seen that look in her sister’s eyes she had been sneaking off to see Champ… Oh god! She hoped her sister hadn’t fallen back in with that cheating piece of crap. Just the thought of it made her dry heave a little.

“No!!! No,” she softened her voice, flashing her sister a bright smile at the concerned frown on her face. Waverly wasn’t ashamed of her relationship with Nicole but it was new and special and she wanted to be able to ‘research’ what drove each other crazy with Nicole as much as they could before they let anyone know they were together. Especially Wynonna as she would probably go into protection overdrive and want to chaperone their every move and torment the hell out of Nicole even more than she already did. “It’s just boring cold case stuff… so old there’s some Latin on it I said I would help her translate.”

“Latin?”

Oh, fudge! An ancient language too far! Waverly berated herself.

“Well, that sounds…. YAWN! Boring as hell!!!”

“Oh very,” Waverly breathed in relief. Well, better go! Research to do!!” Grabbing up her bag, Waverly willed the bottle of wine within not to clink against anything and give itself away as she reached for the truck door.

Wynonna grabbed Waverly’s arm urgently. “Hold on, baby girl!”

“Wynonna?”

“Something ain’t right! Unless Haught is the kind of cop that leaves her door open in below freezing weather?”

Waverly’s heart dropped as her eyes darted to the front door of Nicole’s house and she saw it swinging in the breeze. “Nicole!”

“Shit! Wait up, Waves!” Grabbing Peacemaker from her boot at the sight of blood in the snow next to her door, Wynonna darted up the path to Nicole’s house, hot on the heels of her baby sister as she burst through the door before her. “Damn it, Waves. Slow down!” Wynonna nearly tripped over Waverly as she froze in place, her eyes darting around the living room.

Wynonna had never been in Haught’s house but she was betting the Officer wasn’t the kind of person to have overturned furniture, a broken coffee table or a pool of blood on the floor. There was no Nicole though. “Shit! Baby girl, call Nedley and Dolls, tell them something happened to Nicole.” Cocking her head, Wynonna picked up a faint noise from the floor above. “I’m just going to check upstairs. Go!” she ordered as Waverly hesitated.

If it was Nicole upstairs then she was in a bad way to have not responded to Waverly’s screams or their blundering in. And if it was the person that had attacked Nicole… well then, Wynonna and Peacemaker wanted a private word with them. Not that she would admit it but she kind of liked her sometimes overly bossy, ginger-haired, walking bumper sticker, friend.

Making sure that Waverly was out of the way, Wynonna tightened her grip on her gun and made her way up the stairs two at a time. Another scuffling sound drew her and she cracked open the door to what was obviously Haught’s bedroom. “Nice,” she whispered under her breath once she was sure no one was there. “And interesting,” she smiled at the obvious signs that two people regularly shared the room. “You better be okay girl ‘cause you better believe I’m going to find out who you’re shacking up with and use it to torment the hell out of you.”

Whipping around, she pointed Peacemaker at the chest of drawers as another noise teased her ear. Frowning in confusion, Wynonna edged closer and slowly opened the top drawer.

A yowl and a bundle of ginger fur flew out of the drawer, sending Wynonna ass first to the ground in an undignified heap. “Damn it! Calamity!” Flopping back, Wynonna sucked in a breath and tried to blink away the flashing lights floating before her eyes.

“What the…” realising that the lights weren’t going away… and that they weren’t lights at all, Wynonna sat up and looked around in bewilderment at the feathers strew all around. Climbing to her feet, she looked in the open drawer. Dipping her hand in she brought out a fistful of feathers and let them fall back to join the rest. “Fuck me… what kind of kinky shit are you into, Haught?”

“Wynonna!”

Scrambling for the door, Wynonna hurdled down the steps so fast she barely touched any of them as she skidded to a halt at her distraught sister’s side. Swinging around, she pointed Peacemaker at every darkened corner of the room. “What? Where?”

“Who!” Holding up a hand, Waverly let the dog tags in her hand slip from between trembling fingers to dangle from their chain. “They were on the floor,” she whispered brokenly.

Wynonna steadied the spinning tags and read the name stamped upon them over and over in disbelief and rising anger. “Dolls?! Son of a bitch!”


	14. Chapter 14

As he entered the precinct, Dolls couldn’t help but look at Officer Haught’s empty desk any more than he could help the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him at the guilt. Shit! He wished he’d never gone back to Black Badge to check up on that old report he had read years before.

He had wanted to know, wanted to protect and yes… he had thought he could use knowledge of whatever Nicole was to his advantage. But once he had read that old report and read between the line of what had been one of B.B.D.’s first cases and weighed it up against the woman he knew, Dolls had wanted to just walk away and forget everything but it had been too late.

He should have known that Lucado was watching his every move looking for a way to take him down after what had happened to her husband but his reliance on the drugs they had him addicted to, to control what they had turned him into, had made him reckless and stupid.

Fresh waves of guilt had Dolls rushing into his office as the memory of Nicole’s screaming and the unspoken pleas in her pain filled brown eyes came back to him. He tossed the folder he was carrying on to his desk and moved to the safe to put his new supply of drugs away.

Blood money.

“You better have a damn good explanation for this, dude!”

Spinning, Dolls caught what Wynonna threw at his head more by luck than judgement. He looked down at the tags in his hand and touched where they should have been hanging around his neck. He knew by the fury on her and Waverly’s faces where they had found them but he asked anyway. “W- where did you find them?”

“You know very well you shithead! Where is she?!”

Guilt and the unrestrained fury in the youngest Earp had him backpedalling away from her as she flew across the room at him. “You don’t know what she is, Waverly!”

“Oh, you mean apart from the woman I love and quite possibly an honest to god, real life, wings-n-all, angel?!”

“What?” Wynonna stared at her sister in shock as she tried to take in what she was saying about wings as well as being in love. With everything that went on around Purgatory the wings weren’t as nearly as much of a shock as the fact that she hadn’t realised how close they’d apparently been getting.

Waverly ignored Wynonna and rounded on Dolls once more, pushing him back with both hands to his chest. “I know you think it but I’m not stupid Dolls! Nicole doesn’t know what she is though! Oh, but you do don’t you!” She could see it in his guilty expression.

Reaching out, Waverly snatched his gun from its holster. Chambering a round, she pointed it right at his chest. Even with all her fury trained on him, she could see that he didn’t believe she had it in her to pull the trigger. His expression dropped though, fear and disbelief climbing into his eyes as Peacemaker’s barrel started to glow as Wynonna cocked the hammer and pointed it right between his eyes.

“Talk! Now!!!!”

“On my desk,” he nodded gingerly towards the manila folder and kept his eyes trained on the gun in Wynonna’s hand as Waverly went to get it. “When Black Badge was first set up back in Wyatt’s day… one of the first creatures they tried to get their hands on was… well, I think it was Nicole.” He watched as Waverly flicked through the papers and heard her gasp as she found the drawing of her. The face was young and more angular but it was unmistakably her.

“They… I’m sorry, what they did was brutal,” which was a gross understatement. Even with his training, all he had seen and done… even with how they had written everything down in a cold, calculating manner, it had been hard reading. “Black Badge was set up to deal with the Supernatural but they didn’t think they could control her… so they took what they wanted… her wings and buried her body.”

“Took?!” Waverly held up the old blurred photograph so Wynonna could see the men holding up a bloodied wing, huge knives in their hands as they stood over a small body on the ground.

“Wait… baby girl. How can that be Nicole? She’s got parents, she remembers growing up.”

“Actually… I talked to them and they admitted everything,” Dolls whispered. “They found her wandering around one day. Lost. No memory at all. She only looked ten, maybe younger. They had not long lost a child and instead of handing her over to the authorities they… they gave her their daughters name and history until she was convinced that was her story. When Nicole came out as gay they lost it and just rejected her.”

“All the shit she’s been through because of them! Because of Black Badge and you decided to just hand her over to them?!”

“It was either her or you and Wynonna! That was the choice I had to make! They caught me looking at that file and put everything together. They came here and if they didn’t find Officer Haught they were taking you two instead! What else could I do? What would you have done?”

“No! No, you do not get to put that on me, Dolls! You could have protected her! Warned her and helped her fight, helped us! Instead, you betrayed us all and now they’ve got, my love! Wynonna… I love her! And I never got to tell her!”

Wynonna caught her sister and held her close as she slumped towards the ground. “We’re going to get her back, baby girl,” she rocked Waverly in her arms, stroking her hair and trying to reassure her even as she felt utterly useless. Wrestling with her pocket she found her phone and pressed dial. “Hey, Doc. We need your help rescuing, Haughtstuff. Are you in? Okay, good, meet us at the homestead.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short bit before i retire from my writing for a while ;) ... and by that i mean after a nap to let my muses get busy and endure the torture of writing the next part. Poor Nicole.

Wynonna placed a gentle hand upon Waverly’s knee. She could feel the tension and despair coming from her sister in waves as they stared down at the warehouse complex below. It was huge and sprawling but, remarkably for a building so large, none of them had even known that it was even there.

If not for Dolls they would never have been able to find it but that hadn’t made any of them like the fact that they would have to trust him and his ‘guy on the inside’ to help them get into the heavily guarded building to find Nicole.

Doc had listened impatiently as they had explained what had happened to Nicole and then he had turned round and beat the other man soundly for his betrayal. From what Wynonna had managed to make out above the sounds of fists and boots crunching into flesh, Dolls had tried to pull something similar with Doc before and had offered him up to Black Badge for testing.

Beaten to within an inch of his life, Dolls had just taken every blow without resisting as though trying to work off his guilt at the end of Doc’s fists. Then once Doc had been too disgusted with him to punch on he had said he could and wanted to help them get Nicole back and Wynonna had been forced to step in the way of Doc’s gun before he could shoot.

If he let them down though, or if Nicole was dead, Wynonna had promised him that there was nowhere he could run to where she wouldn’t find him.

Leaning forwards between the seats, Wynonna took in the unwavering gun Doc had aimed at Dolls ribs. One flinch in the wrong direction and Doc would put him down quicker than anything.

“How do we know we can trust your guy?”

“Jeremy’s a good guy, Wynonna. A bit excitable at times but a genius. He’s been trying to help me find out the formula to the shit they’ve got me hooked on just because it’s the right thing to do… his words, not mine.”

“Okay, how do we get in touch with him then?”

“We won’t need too. He’ll just know which door to open. I know I can’t really ask anything of you after what I’ve done but… please trust me. I want to help get Nicole out of there. If I believe that everything that’s Supernatural, or has abilities, is evil then there’s no hope for me.”

“Nicole hasn’t got an evil bone in her body! If you’d taken the time to look you would have known that!”

One thing she could say in Dolls favour right then, he didn’t attempt to defend himself against Waverly’s pain and just took it because Waverly was right. When she had first seen Nicole all Wynonna had seen was a uniform she had done battle against for a good part of her life.

“We’ll get her out, Waves. I promise. Doc, you set?”

“Oh, indeed, darlin’. Plan B is all ready to go.”

“Plan B?”

“Shut up and drive Dolls. Get us inside so we can get our girl back.”

Keeping well back from the reach of the security cameras, Dolls drove the S.U.V, around the perimeter of the secret Black Badge facility until he came to a little-used gate at the back. Trusting Jeremy, he drove slowly towards the gate and breathed a little easier as it opened just in time and then closed quickly behind them.

Security cameras turned away at their progress towards the building, keeping their progress hidden even as a double-wide shuttered door rolled up for him to drive the S.U.V. inside.

“So help me Dolls,” Doc gritted out, “if this is a trap…”

Dolls pulled the vehicle to a halt and turned off the engine. A figure in a white lab coat peeled away from the darkness and trotted towards them with iPad clutched to his chest and a nervous grin on his face. “That’s Jeremy, Jeremy Chetri.”

Wynonna blinked in amazement as the man gave Dolls an awkward and unreturned hug, and then got an utterly star stuck look on his face as he spotted Doc. It would have been endearing and worth teasing him about if they didn’t need to find Nicole.

“Yes, I think I know where they’re holding your friend. I took a look at the power grid and Sector Three is pulling in more than it should be seeing as it’s supposed to be empty. Good news is there are no security cameras working down there… but that’s bad news too.”

“Why would that be bad news?”

“No cameras… no evidence of what they’re doing,” Jeremy mentally berated himself as he realised he’d basically just told them that their friend was more than likely been tortured. “Oh… I’m so sorry!”

Wynonna sucked on her teeth in annoyance and gently rubbed Waverly’s shoulder as she hugged herself. “Brainiac, sector three, can you get us there?”

“Sure. I’ve checked and Dolls security clearance had been frozen but my level is high enough to get you there.”

Doc clasped the young man on the shoulder. “Then let’s not dally any longer, Jeremy. Lead the way if you would be so kind.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a rough night so i'm afraid that poor Nicole will have to pay for it (((cackles evilly)))

The journey down to Sector Three went so smoothly that Wynonna was convinced that it was all a setup and they were just walking straight into a trap. A feeling she could see echoed in the set of Doc’s shoulders and the way the gunslinger kept a watchful eye on Dolls and his friend, Jeremy.

Jeremy… luckily he was proving to be useful and knew when to be quiet ‘cause his excited chattering had made Wynonna want to cram him into a couple of convenient storage cupboards along the way and if she hadn’t been busy keeping Waverly moving instead of stressing out… well crammed he would have been.

Hearing a weak scream from behind the doors at the end of the corridor, Wynonna quickly put her hand over Waverly’s mouth and pulled her out of sight. Her sister shook in fury and anguish against her as she screamed and whimpered into the restraint of her hand. “I know… I know, baby girl. You need to hold it together.” Wynonna rocked her until she quietened in her arms. “We will get her out, baby but we need to see what we’re up against before we rush in. If you can’t or don’t want to… let me know and you can wait while we get her.”

“I’m good,” Waverly whispered. “Well, I will be once we get her out. At- at least we know she’s still alive… right?”

“Nicole is tough as hell, Waves. Must be to have put up with me, right?” Gently cupping her sisters face between her hands, Wynonna pressed a kiss to her forehead and tried to hide her concern behind her teasing. “Ready?”

Ready? How could anyone be ready to find out what could have made the person they loved give that kind of a scream? To see what was been done to have the usually stoic dark face of Dolls going an unhealthy shade as he glanced towards the doors? “No… but let’s do this.”

As they walked towards the door, Wynonna’s body tensed as though ready to grab her if she made too much of a noise, Waverly held on desperately to the fact that Nicole was still able to scream. As bad as that was… that was all she had to cling to.

Jeremy glanced at the people he had found himself with and wasn’t sure if he was scared or excited. Xavier Dolls had been kind to him in the past and even though he could be as intense as hell, Jeremy liked him a great deal like the big brother he had never had. And then there was Doc…

Doc freakin’ Holliday!

The actual, honest to god, Doc Holliday! A man he had admired… and had a secret crush on, for many years and that was when he had just lived only in history books. To find that the guy was not only still somehow alive and living in the place they were being deployed to… Well, he was part of the reason that Jeremy had stuck with Black Badge. Yeah, they had offered him a job after his car accident and what had happened but he didn’t approve about what they had been doing lately. It screwed with his moral compass and he had been all set to walk away.

The part that was making Jeremy excited though was the two women with them. He had heard rumours about Wynonna Earp but she was actually more intense in person that he’d imagined. Waverly seemed nice. She had a look in her eyes that said she was normally fun to be around, he could sense it. But it was all locked down right then beneath layers of pain and anger that looked ready to burst into violent action because of what was going on it the rooms he was punching in a code to unlock for them.

He felt the need to warn them how bad it was probably going to be and plead a case for Dolls. “Look…”

“Just, open the door, Jeremy,” Doc ordered.

“Yeah, sure!” Nodding, Jeremy entered the final digits, swiped his keycard and opened the door for them to step through. “Two-way mirror,” he rushed to explain as he stepped into the room. “No one can see us or hear us. Thought it would be better than just rushing in so you can see how many guards or whatever there are.”

Waverly’s whole body shook as she stepped towards the glass that ran the length of the room they were in. Room? It was a freakin’ theatre for the perverted! Rows of chairs… padded chairs for comfort! Lined up to give an unobstructed view of what was happening in the main room. The glass acting like a screen to keep them away from the messy stuff.

And it worked, Waverly admitted. The damned glass acted like a barrier. Like looking at TV screen it gave a feeling of disconnect to her life been ripped apart.

Waverly looked around, taking in all the armed guards and the lab-coated scientists. Taking in all the banks of monitors and nasty looking medical equipment. Taking in anything instead of Nicole. If she looked there too soon she might miss some important detail… or just fall apart.

The floor, look at the floor. Painted concrete, sloping to a drain for easy cleaning. This wasn’t Black Badges first nasty operation for them to think of putting something like that it. There was a chain on the floor, old and thick, spiked? Rusty water pooled around it, tendrils working their way to the edge of the drain hole. No… It wasn’t rust, she realised… It was blood!

Hand over her mouth, Waverly held in a whimper as she followed the chain to where it was wrapped around pale flesh, the spikes digging cruelly into legs and… don’t look! Not yet!

Waverly dragged her eyes upwards, taking in the pulley system that was hanging from thick metalwork. A shining chain, new and sparkly hung from it, leading to a metal bar was cuffs hanging from it to wrap cruelly around delicate wrists with enough force that blood trickled in paths of red from under them. Don’t look!

She skimmed around the room and Nicole’s body, taking in a little more each time so as not to get overwhelmed. Even the small details hurt though… the way she was chained so that all her weight was on her toes and the balls of her feet. The spiked chain coiled all the way around her, even the slightest move making blood flow and smoke rise. From somewhere in the room she heard Dolls explain that the chains were made from iron dipped in demon blood.

“You will change for us! Just reveal what you are and this will all stop!”

Lifting her head, Nicole tried to focus through the pain and the hair stuck to her face by blood and sweat at the blonde calling the shots on her torture. “I don’t know what you’re talking about… Hey, if this is some weird ass aversion therapy I hate to tell you but I’m gay and nothing’s going to change that.”

Waverly whimpered. Nicole’s words were defiant but her voice was so weak and raspy from pain.

The woman lifted a hand, a look of indifference on her face as she flicked an imaginary fleck of dirt off her perfectly tailored suit.

Wynonna grabbed for Waverly again and tried to shield her from the sight as one of the lab-coated lackeys flipped a switch and Nicole’s body bowed up tight, every sinew standing out as electricity coursed through her body in obvious punishment for her defiance. Another flick of a switch and Nicole’s body went limp and swung within the chains.

“You still with is? You can’t hold out forever so why don’t you just give us those pretty wings and I’ll make the pain stop?”

“Wings?” Nicole barely even had the strength for a sarcastic chuckle but she tried even though it just led to more pain as the chains dug into open wounds. “You are batshit crazy, ya know that, right? Ya think if I had wings an’ could fly away I would have let you assholes get the jump on me?”

“Stupid girl! You might be holding out but you will break! You think these chains would be hurting so much if you were human? We went to a lot of trouble to get these back for you, you know… but it was worth the effort to give you back what Wyatt Earp wrapped around your body himself.” Gripping Nicole’s jaw in a tight grip, Lucado snarled into her face. “Every second you make me wait will bring more pain and might just make me decide to turn my attention to the Earp sisters. Double the dosage!!!”

“Leave them… AHhhhhhh!” A pain like molten poured through Nicole’s veins, wrenching a scream from her soul as the liquid she had come to dread more than the electricity, dripped through the IV tube they had jabbed into her neck and turned her vision black.


	17. Chapter 17

“Get away from her, you BITCH!” A red mist settled over Waverly blinding her to everything but the grin on Lucado’s face as she watched Nicole twist in pain under the poison that was turning the tracks of her veins black beneath her skin.

Waverly couldn’t even remember taking her gun out of her pocket. But it was there, a strangely comforting weight in her hand as it kicked and sent Lucado scrambling for cover.

Dimly, Waverly was aware of gunfire breaking out all around her but her eyes were locked on Nicole as she lifted her head and looked at her through a curtain of sweat soaked hair. There was a second, just one beautiful second, where time froze and Waverly saw hope flicker into Nicole’s eyes and saw them fill with love despite her pain.

And then she screamed louder than ever, her body thrashing wildly out of control. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw Lucado give her a mocking wave as she pushed one of the lab techs aside and used his computer to open the valve on the I.V. to its fullest.

“Don’t touch her!” Seeing Waverly rushing towards the bound woman, Jeremy rushed to intercept and knocked her out of the way. “Lucado turned the electricity on too,” he rushed to explain as she rounded on him. “If you touch her, you’ll get shocked too!”

Grabbing their collars, Wynonna yanked them both back as a string of bullets ripped across the floor. “Crazy assed, morons.” Trying to ignore the sounds been wrought from Nicole, Wynonna fired back. “Okay, Jeremy, do you know how to shut this crap down?”

“Well, it should be a simple matter of-”

“Yes or no, Jeremy? Yes or no?”

“Yes! Yes! But I need to get to those computers, or to that main power switch, and they are all on the other side of the room where the people are shooting at us from!” Yelping in fear, Jeremy ducked down further as more bullets ripped across the ground.

“You let us worry about that. Baby girl, you stay here and get ready to get Nicole down once we turn the power off!” Dragging Jeremy with her, Wynonna tossed him towards Doc and Dolls so he could tell them where he needed to go. Slamming a stool into the face of a guard trying to sneak up behind them, she grabbed his automatic rifle. As much as she loved Peacemaker, her gun was best against Revenants and other demons. Humans with automatic rifles tended to be more impressed with greater firepower than an old six-shooter.

“Okay, ready?” Getting a quick succession of nods off Doc, Dolls and even Jeremy, Wynonna grabbed Doc by the shoulder to make sure he was listening to her. “Doc, get that bitch, Lucado and start Plan B rolling for us? We need an out and fast.”

“Will do, darlin’.”

They moved quickly, pushing the guards back and out of the room as they cleared a path towards where Jeremy needed to go. A glance over her shoulder had Wynonna worrying that no amount of speed would be enough. Only seconds had past but Nicole’s body was barely moving even with the electricity arcing through her body as she hung within the chains.

“There!” Jeremy sagged in relief as he managed to get everything shut down.

“Dolls, get us a quick way out of here! Do not let us down! You,” she pointed to Jeremy. “Thank you.”

“Wynonna!!!!”

Time froze as Wynonna whipped around. She didn’t think there could be a more heart-wrenching sound in the world right then as her name ripping from somewhere deep inside of Waverly. She fired a “GO!” over her shoulder as she ran to her sister's side and helped lower Nicole’s limp body to the ground. Pulling the I.V. from her throat, Wynonna replaced it with her fingers and felt around desperately for a pulse.

There wasn’t one.

“Wynonna?”

“Get the fuck out of here Dolls! This isn’t over yet!”

Gently, Wynonna tilted Nicole’s head back and checked for a pulse again. “Come on, Haughtstuff. Wake the fuck up! Shit! Waves! You with me?” Her sister's eyes were wide and glazed. “Waves! Nicole needs you, baby. She’s not breathing… you brushed up on your C.P.R. right?”

“Y- yeah,” shaking herself, Waverly focused on all her research and practice and tried to forget that it was Nicole that was laying there… dead, as she started chest compressions and forced her lungs to fill with air from her own.

Time and again she breathed for her, checked her pulse and started compressions again. She blinked through the tears and tried not to notice the way Wynonna slumped in defeat as the minutes ticked by without a response.

“Come on! Fight for me, Nicole!”

“Waves.”

“No!” Waverly shrugged away Wynonna’s hand and pounded her fists against Nicole’s still chest. “She’s not gone! You hear me, Nicole Haught! You are not leaving me! You’re not,” she finished on a broken sob, her body sagging in defeat and sorrow.

“I’m sorry, Waves,” Wynonna wiped away the tears streaming down her face as she watched her baby sister collapse over Nicole’s body, her body wracked with huge shuddering sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear... i was going to end the chapter on a better note but... i'm feeling particularly evil ;)  
> Just don't kick me too much else i won't be able to get them to a happier place :p


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote the darn thing and made myself bawl at the start there (((wiping eyes)))

With her eyes closed, Waverly could almost believe that everything was okay, that Nicole’s body wasn’t laying so terrifyingly still. That her heart wasn’t shattering into a million pieces, as she cupped the familiar lines of Nicole’s face between her hands and pressed their lips together. Her loves face was still warm, a softness to the lines of it as though she was still asleep. Just waiting for the right kiss to wake her.

Whimpering, Waverly pressed their lips even tighter together, swallowing back a moan as tears broke from behind closed lids and splashed against Nicole’s too pale cheeks.

Hand sliding down, she found Nicole’s and caressed the familiar length of long fingers and laced her own between them.

A pulse fluttered against the tips of her fingers along Nicole’s jaw, a soft whisper of air breathing against her lip.

“Nicole?”

Pulling back, Waverly looked at Nicole desperately, searching for a sign that she hadn’t been mistaken. There was nothing but as she pressed her lips back to Nicole’s she felt another breath against her, stronger than before and felt long fingers squeeze her own. “Hey,” she whispered against Nicole’s mouth and felt her lips part under her own and felt the whisper of her name brush across her mouth.

Wynonna sat back in relief and amazement, a sob breaking past her lips as Nicole’s eyes fluttered open. “Haught! I could kiss you! Only I think your mouth is going to be busy for a long time,” she smiled in relief. Leaning down, Wynonna pressed kisses of joy and relief to Nicole’s forehead and then to Waverly’s as she grabbed her sister into a fierce hug.

Wynonna had no idea how Nicole was even alive but… as her sister seemed to be convinced that she was an angel, Wynonna was prepared to believe in miracles if it meant they could finally get the hell away from that place.

“Come on, let’s get sleeping beauty up and get the hell out of here.” Wynonna shrugged her way out of her jacket and wrestled it on to Nicole as they got her sort of upright. It was only ‘sort of’ as apart from the occasional flickering of eyes, the redhead was unresponsive to the point that it scared Wynonna that what Lucado had done to her was irreparable and they were going to lose her anyway.

Linking their arms together around Nicole, they slowly made their way from the room in the direction everyone else had gone. Dragging and supporting her every step of the way. “Shit! I hope we’re going in the right direction, baby girl.”

“’Nonna,” gesturing wildly with her head, Waverly squeezed at Wynonna’s hand where they touched at Nicole’s back. “Lucado,” she hissed as they hunched down with Nicole between them as they saw the woman in an office ahead of them. Both of them would have loved nothing more than to go in and get revenge but their main priority was getting Nicole away from there as quickly as possible.

“You came alone? Curious… Foolish. But then again, you are the man who thinks he can pull off that moustache.”

Stepping out of the shadows, Doc calmly placed his cigarillo between his lips and parted the edges of his jacket as he flicked a lighter between his fingers. The blonde woman’s eyes grew wide in disbelief as she got a glimpse of his ‘Plan B’. “How do you like my moustache now?” he drawled.

“Dynamite? You wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh but I would,” he smiled, flicking the lighter into life. “And before you get any ideas of risking a shot… this here dynamite is mighty old and sweating. One jolt and… KABOOM!” He smirked as the woman stepped back in fear. “Now, we will all be leaving here untroubled and untouched. And if you come anywhere near Wynonna, Waverly or Miss Haught again, me and my friends here,” he gestured to the sticks of explosive, “will be paying you a personal visit. KA-BOOM! Do I make myself perfectly clear? I think I will take that as a yes,” he chuckled as Waverly popped up and got a little retribution for her lady love and knocked Lucado out cold. “Miss Haught?”

“Out like a light, Doc,” Wynonna groaned as she pushed herself back up the wall with Nicole a dead weight against her. “Any chance you could ditch your little friends and help us get her the hell out of here?”

Pursing his lips at the thought of having to give them up without getting to blow anything up, Doc gently placed them down next to a stack of crates and, as gently as he could with Waverly watching, he slung Nicole over his shoulder so they could all get moving along faster. “When I was trying to find her, I came across some vehicles just down the way there. With any luck, we should be able to procure one to suit our need to get the hell out of here.”

“Did you see Dolls at all?”

“No, and I have no real desire to do so either!”

“Hey!”

“What the hell, dude!” Taking a breath, Wynonna glared at Jeremy as he bounced into view. Seriously, whatever he was taking, he needed to stop and just calm the fuck down.

“I found a van you can use. It’s not as fast as what you came in but there’s more room. Hi, Doc.”

“How did you know we would need a… you know what, never mind,” Wynonna quickly interrupted herself before Jeremy felt the need to launch into a detailed report or something about vehicles “Just… take us to it. Hey, did you see Dolls after you left?”

“Some guards turned up. He pushed me out of the way and drew them off.”

“Saving his own skin, more like,” Doc gritted out angrily as he eased the young Officer down into the back of the van and closed the doors as Waverly climbed in with her. The girl was not looking in the best of shapes at all. “Wynonna, we cannot afford to spend the time looking for him when Nicole’s life hangs in the balance.”

“No, Nicole is more important. Dolls is a big boy, he can take care of himself.” Jumping into the driver’s seat, Wynonna started the engine. She looked at Jeremy as he jittered about nervously. He was annoyingly bouncy to the point that Wynonna wanted to nail his feet to the floor but… if he stayed, she knew it wouldn’t go down well for him. “Dude, ride or die! Get the hell in!”


	19. Chapter 19

Waverly blinked, dragging her eyes up from the fire raging before her and focussed on the whiskey bottle Wynonna was waving back and forth in front of her face. Taking the bottle, Waverly drew a long sip from it, feeling the burn that did little to touch the block of ice wrapped around her heart. Scooting over a little on the log seat, she welcomed the bump of her sister's body against her side as she huddled down beneath the heavy blanket with her.

The huge fire Doc had blazing away in the fire pit beat off the chill evening air but, as with the whiskey, it didn’t touch the parts inside. Waverly knew that nothing would help that until Nicole was back on her feet and okay but…

“It’s been two days ‘Nonna, why hasn’t she woken up yet?” Lifting her eyes, Waverly looked back at the homestead to her bedroom window where Nicole lay just as still as when they had made their escape from Black Badge.

“She will, she just needs time, baby girl.” Rubbing her sisters back, Wynonna took back the bottle and used taking a swig from it to hide her concern and her eyes roaming up the outside of the homestead, following the path of Waverly’s eyes to where Nicole lay. “I checked on her before I came out,” she admitted, “that damn cat of yours hissed at me like a crazy thing.”

“She is protective of her momma,” Waverly smiled softly. Sighing, she rested her head against Wynonna’s shoulder. “Do you think we should have taken her to the hospital?”

Wynonna had been wondering the same thing but she kept that to herself. “We can protect her better here, Waves. Revenants can’t get on the land and we can stay armed here… they tend to frown at gunplay in hospitals.”

“I don’t even want to know how you know that.”

“She’s drinking when you ask her too,” Wynonna continued, ignoring Waverly’s comment. “And out here… well, there’s no doctors or nurses trying to work out crazy things like how she keeps getting feathers in her hair.” She held the latest one up and pressed it into Waverly’s hand. “I don’t know if she is an angel or not but I do know I don’t want to have to try and explain these, or have her falling under Black Badges gaze again.”

“Do you think Lucado was telling the truth about Wyatt using the chains on her?”

“Doc is probably the best one to ask about that.”

Doc looked across at the sisters and sighed. “I am both pleased and ashamed to say that I have no idea. I didn’t even know that Wyatt had anything to do with the setting up of Black Badge as we were… estranged at that time as I was busy dying and he took offence at that slight. I would like to think now I would have done something to prevent what happened but I was not the man then that you know now. Now, I would do anything to protect you and Miss Haught… back then I’m ashamed to admit that I would probably have carried the chains for him.”

“Then you do think he would have had a part in something like that?”

“We were not always so noble, Waverly. People died around us just by associating in passing with the wrong people,” he grimaced as he thought about Rosita. Caught up in the Earp curse just because she had been dating a man she didn’t know was wanted and ended up caught in a gunfight and taken down by the weapon Wynonna now wielded. She had done nothing wrong but she had got caught up in it all the same. “And without knowing more details it could be that Wyatt truly believed that what he was doing was for the greater good… not that it makes what happened right,” he rushed to add before Waverly could get a head of steam rising under her pain and anger.

Tossing another log onto the fire, Doc watched the sparks rise up and twirl into the air. Waverly’s soft cry had him watching with the sisters as the feather flew from Waverly’s grasp and twirled skywards to dance with the lights from the fire and rose higher. Picking up speed, it flew higher and moved towards the house.

Rising to her feet, Wynonna’s hand dropped to Peacemaker as a figure peeled away from the shadows and stood up on the very top of the roof balanced nimbly on the tiles. The feather caught the light, twinkling brightly before becoming lost in the brilliance as thousands more unfurled out of thin air and stretched outwards.


	20. Chapter 20

Waverly stepped forward, blankets tumbling from her suddenly limp grip to pool forgotten to the ground at her feet as she gazed up at Nicole. Even with the evening light at her back there was no mistaking the body she had spent so much time looking at and exploring until she knew every dip and curve better than she knew her own body. “Nic,” she wanted to shout her name but it came out a breathy whisper as her wings flexed and she shot up into the sky.

For a moment, Waverly feared that she would just simply fly away and never come back but she came down in a crouch the other side of the fire. Even through the flames, she could see a wildness in her eyes that had never been there before as she looked around looking more predator than angel, stripped of her humanity, as the fire reflected and danced in her eyes. “Nicole?”

Wynonna held up and hand and blocked Waverly as she made to move closer to Nicole. She wanted to trust that the woman before them was Nicole but the look in her eyes was like nothing she had ever seen before and before anything else she had to protect her baby sister. Her movements attracted the gaze and ire of the crouched figure on the other side of the fire and an honest to god growl, low and feral, rumbled through the air in warning.

“’Nonna, stop it… you’re scaring her.”

Wynonna wasn’t too convinced about that but before she could make another move, Waverly had darted past her and was at Nicole’s side.

“Hey, baby,” smiling softly, Waverly gently ran her fingers through Nicole’s hair, tucking it behind her ear so she could caress her face. Nicole’s eyes softened, turning to molten chocolate as she leaned into her touch, her lips seeking out the tips of her fingers.

“Waves?”

“It’s me, baby. You’re safe now.”

Wynonna moved around to help Waverly get Nicole off the floor but as she rounded the fire, Nicole’s eyes moved to her and Wynonna’s reassuring smile dropped as the other woman let out a scream and scrambled backwards away from them.

Waverly moved after Nicole but her girlfriend flinched away and tried to scramble to her feet but her wings dragged her down and she screamed again as though seeing them for the first time.

Clutching her head, fingers pulling at her hair, Nicole tried to escape the confusion. She wanted to fly, to escape into the clouds, but what the hell were those things on her back?

Whimpering she looked towards her lover and her friends but the sight of the gun tucked into Wynonna’s boot filled her with fear and the memory of the gun pointing at her head as her wings were ripped from her. Chains burning. Bleeding. Soil filling her mouth and eyes, choking and blinding!

“Earp!!!!”

The fear and loathing coming from Nicole on that one word was so shocking that Wynonna took a step backwards then found herself tumbling in a shower of burning embers as Nicole’s wings beat forwards with the sound and ferocity of a sail catching a stiff breeze.

“Wynonna,” Doc hissed. “It’s Peacemaker, she remembers it… from before.”

The world slowed as Wynonna watched Nicole thrashing and beating at her head like she was trying to shake loose her thoughts. She had only known the redhead a couple of months and had never once drawn Peacemaker on her or used it where Nicole could see what it did to Revenants. And yet she was utterly terrified of it.

Waverly thought she was an angel but Wynonna felt compelled to see what Peacemaker made of her.

“Wynonna!” Seeing her sister drawing her weapon, Waverly placed herself between her and Nicole as she pointed it through the flames. “What are you doing?”

“I need to know, Waverly!”

“You are not pointing your gun at my girlfriend!”

“Leave me alone!!”

Feeling the tenseness radiating off of Nicole, Waverly wrapped her arms around her waist desperately, trying to anchor her with her words and body. She could see it in her eyes though. The pain and suffering. Nicole wasn’t seeing anything right then.

“Niiiii-” Waverly’s voice was stolen, her voice pushed back down into her throat by a hurricane-force gust of wind as Nicole suddenly took to the air like a rocket and dragged her along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry, about the gif (if it worked)


	21. Chapter 21

Waverly kept her arms locked around Nicole’s waist and tried not to think about there been nothing beneath her feet or what might happen if her grip slipped even for an instant. She could hear the thumping beat of Nicole’s wings, solid and powerful as they cleaved a path through the darkening sky but as they brushed against her arms their touch was feather light… which if they had been safely on the ground would have been a thought that would have given her proper laugh instead of making her hold in a hysterical whimper.

Daring to move her head, Waverly glanced up… up was better than down! Looking up there was no sense of height and it gave her the view of Nicole’s jawline and the delicate curve of her throat. Her hair hung around her face, pressed flat by the force of the air as she shot higher and higher and rendered dark like old blood by the night.

She was so beautiful but with her eyes fixed upon the sky as they were, Waverly couldn’t help the niggle of fear that her Nicole was lost. Nicole showed no signs of slowing or stopping and she couldn’t hang on forever. Waverly was no fan of the falling to her death possibility but it was the thought of what it would do to Nicole if she saw it happen and blamed herself.

“Nicole, baby. Please?” It was, at best, a whispered plea pressed against Nicole’s body but it worked where her scream wrenched away by the rushing air hadn’t. Waverly felt the hesitation in the beat of her wings and slowing of their upward climb as Nicole’s body shuddered slightly.

Waverly peeked cautiously back up and was met by brown eyes filled with confusion as Nicole looked down at her and then slid past and took in the fact that they were god knows how high up off the ground. “Erm, baby. Little help here… slipping.”

Waverly wasn’t even sure she could describe how Nicole did it, but even with her hands wrapped around her, Nicole stilled her wings and did a whole body dip and before Waverly could get half a startled squeal out her legs were wrapped around Nicole’s waist, arms holding her close as her hands and arms found a new home upon Nicole’s shoulders. It was such a familiar position, held aloft by her love and gazing down into her warm eyes and that damnably adorable dimpled smile, that despite the rest of it, mainly those huge wings beating away, Waverly couldn’t resist stealing a quick kiss. “Don’t drop me, you dolt,” she admonished with a chuckle as Nicole’s hands instinctively started to move upon her back.

“Erm, Waves?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Are those?” Nicole pointed with her eyes towards the wings she could see out of the corner of her eyes and feel working upon her back. “And are we… flying?”

“Hey, it’s okay,” trying to banish the fear building in Nicole’s eyes, Waverly gently kissed along her jaw. “But, yes, they are, and we are… And you’re doing great so just, whatever you’re doing, don’t stop!”

Nodding furiously, Nicole just looked into Waverly’s eyes, letting her anchor her as she allowed her body to just take over. It was like breathing, she realised, there was no need to think about each breath and there was no need to think about the wings, it just seemed to come naturally.

“Okay, they are and we are but… how? What’s happening to me Waves?” Nicole groaned in fear, eyes screwing tightly closed as flashes of memories she shouldn’t have stabbed at her and merged with fresher ones that hurt just as much.

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s jaw, fear lancing through her as Nicole started to curl up around her body, whimpers and moans falling from her lips. Seeing her like that would have been heart-stopping enough if they had been on the ground… but they were god only knew how far off the ground and Nicole’s wings were slowing. “No! No, baby! Come on, I’ve got you, open your eyes!”

She breathed a sigh of relief as Nicole opened her eyes but the confusion and pain still within them was scary too see until they flickered back to that warmest of browns. “Nic, can you take us back down baby?”

“Down?” Nicole whimpered, her breath hitching at the thought of giving up the sky she had been denied for over a hundred years. “Don’t wanna.”

“Please, baby… it’s getting a little cold up here.” Like the flip of a switch, she saw Nicole, the Nicole she knew, come back into herself at the thought of her discomfort and her arms held her closer, hands rubbing over her back as she took them gently back towards the ground in a lazy spiral.


	22. Chapter 22

“Earp, keep your damn gun holstered,” Doc hissed as he saw Wynonna’s hand moving back towards Peacemaker as Nicole came to a gentle landing right back where she had taken off from. “Miss Haught looks as nervous as an unbroken horse and we do not want her shooting off again like that with Waverly do we?”

“Ugh, you had to mention horses,” Wynonna griped.

“I happen to like horses, damn fine beasts. Now play nice or I fear you will have your sister to answer to,” he pointed out as Waverly shot them both, but mostly her sister, a glare or warning.

Waverly unlocked her legs from around Nicole’s waist and slowly let them slide down. As she did though she locked her hands around Nicole’s neck and carefully, oh so carefully, kept a close eye on Nicole’s eyes as they sped through emotion after emotion. It was like watching the spin on a slot machine or the roll of a dice and wondering what they were going to land upon… jackpot or bust?

Seeing bust coming up, Waverly cheated and turned it back to her favour with a quick heated kiss that had Nicole relaxing into her arms. “Gotcha,” she whispered softly against the curve of her kiss softened mouth.

“Huh?” Tilting her head, Nicole blinked and frowned a little at Waverly in confusion.

“Nothing, baby,” Waverly ghosted another kiss across Nicole’s mouth and decided to risk it a little. She moved, keeping on hand on Nicole’s back tucked up under the warmth of folded wings and the other she used to hold on to Nicole’s hand with. “Do you want to go inside… or we could stay out here by the fire if you prefer?” Waverly quickly added as Nicole stepped away from the sight of the house and looked back to the openness of the sky.

“Here,” she just couldn’t face the thought of being anywhere enclosed right then, not after… shaking the thought away, Nicole frowned as Waverly gave a shiver. “Unless you’re cold?”

“I won’t be if you hold me,” Waverly lulled softly. She gently encouraged Nicole to sit before the fire and took a seat next to her without losing touch with her body for even a second. “Hey, any chance you can tuck these away so we can share a blanket?”

Everything inside of Nicole writhed and rebelled at the thought. But it was Waverly that had asked so Nicole swallowed down the fear closed her eyes. When she opened them again she knew without looking that they were gone. Instead of feeling lighter with the bulk of them gone she felt heavier as though her bones weighed more and she could feel the coldness of the air settling around her, making her aware that she was clothed only in a crop top and apparently a pair of Waverly’s pyjama bottoms. She sagged and felt the gentleness of Waverly’s hands upon her as the smaller brunette wrapped several blankets around them both.

“So… you’re an angel, huh?”

Waverly shot Wynonna a glower to let her big sister know she would be having words with her about drawing Peacemaker on her girlfriend as Nicole stiffened beside her. Oh yes, there would be words!

Holding up her hands, Wynonna sat the other side of Nicole, keeping space between them so as not to crowd the redhead and to also keep Peacemaker out of her sight. She could have sat next to Waverly… only she didn’t think that was the best or safest of places with the glares she was shooting her way.

“If you’re asking if I know what heaven or God looks like you’re out of luck, Wy. I can’t remember anything past that night. And I’m still not sure why I’m remembering that… Not when I remember growing up… my parents.” Unable to look at Wynonna, Nicole looked at Waverly’s fingers as they played with hers. The motion, the touch was soothing and familiar while her hatred for Wynonna and everything else wasn’t.

“What do you remember, Haughtshot?”

Nicole felt her lips quirk at the typical Wynonna play on her name but she still didn’t dare look her way or even at Doc as his attire reminded her of those times. “It’s a blur,” Nicole admitted. “I remember flying, always flying. Then there was someone… a preacher. He had a ring,” she frowned at the memory of it. “He said something about a cult…” the name he had said was right there on the tip of Nicole’s tongue, poised ready to spill forth. But she held it back in fear.

Names were dangerous.

“I couldn’t- no, I tried to get away but they caught me. Wyatt, Black Badge.” Nicole felt her other hand gently captured and pulled into the warmth of Waverly’s touch. She used the contact, anchoring herself to the there and now, to Waverly as she stumbled through the words… the feeling of having her wings ripped from her body… of been wrapped up in chains. Looking at her arms, Nicole saw the marks upon them and winced as the memory from all those years before crashed together with the new.

“They wanted my wings… Took my wings… Dolls?”

“Dolls isn’t here, baby. No one’s going to hurt you,” looking deep into Nicole’s eyes, Waverly ran the pad of her thumb across her cheekbone and tucked a strand of hair back out of the way behind her ear.

“They used to be different,” Nicole whispered.

“What did, baby?”

“My eyes, my hair. Before I was thrown into that old mine and left to rot, I used to have blue eyes and blonde hair. I think maybe all the dirt I was in stained them. Always wondered why I kept seeing someone else in the mirror,” she whispered.

“How _did_ you get free of the mine?”

“’Nonna!” Feeling Nicole growing tense just at the sound of Wynonna’s voice, Waverly rubbed her back and tried to draw her attention back to her.

“I don’t know. I’d given up by then… there’s just a darkness I can’t see through and then I remember been outside and seeing my parents. But… I remember being with them before that. Why can I remember two things?”

“Baby… they found you wandering with no memory and decided to bring you up themselves.”

“Oh.”

Seeing that the fire was starting to burn down, Doc slowly rose to his feet, moving carefully so as not to cause Nicole distress. “I’ll get some more logs for the fire,” tipping his hat, Doc walked towards the stack of logs, all the while keeping an eye on the ladies… but especially on Nicole.

He had spent a hundred years trapped down a well. A hundred years trapped with his anger, fear and regrets. It had eaten at his soul but he had come to terms with it all. Nicole had apparently been just as trapped but only a quirk of memory had left her free of all the horrors she had endured… until now. Now she was having to relieve it all over again and face up to the fact that everything she had thought about herself wasn’t even true.

Filling his arms, he walked back towards the fire.

She never saw it coming. Waverly had been so attentive to Nicole’s shifts in mood but as Doc returned she just never got a flicker of eyes or tightening of muscle that anything was wrong until she suddenly found herself flat on her back with the tips of Nicole’s wings brushing against her as she surged to her feet and leapt across the fire onto Doc.

Waverly scrambled to her knees and tried to regain her feet as Nicole ripped a huge log out of Doc’s hands and hurled it like it weighed nothing straight through the wall of the barn. Hearing the cocking of a hammer, Waverly spun round in horror as Wynonna pointed Peacemaker at Nicole’s back.

The sound was like a slap across the face to Nicole. She stepped away from Doc, dragging her eyes away from his clothing and blinked away the memory of seeing clothes like that before. Nicole turned, taking in Waverly still on the ground and recoiled at the sight of _THAT cursed_ gun pointed at her again. She felt like a stranger in her own body as she felt her muscles tightening ready to attack… attack her friends?

“I- I’m sorry, Waverly.”

“For what? Nicole?” Waverly stepped towards her but Nicole just stepped back further. Waverly could see the determination and sadness in Nicole’s eyes and knew, just knew, that she had made some kind of decision that she knew Waverly wasn’t going to like.

“I can’t be here, Waves. I’m sorry, I just can’t. I don’t know what I am anymore. Everything is just so messed up in my head and I can’t take it. I- I just need to go.”

“Nic!”

“I’m scared, Waves. I could have killed you up there and not even known that I had, I was so out of it. And I could have hurt you just. Every time I looked at Wynonna all I see is that damned gun and I flash back to what happened and I want to hurt her!” Taking a breath, Nicole forced her hands to unclench. “Waves, I love you so damn much… but when I hear the name ‘Earp’ or think about it… it’s just anger inside me! Burning, twisting! It would kill me if anything happened to you and the best way I can protect you right now is to stay away.”

Stepping back further, Nicole nodded a quick thank you to Wynonna as she grabbed Waverly and held her back. “Goodbye. Waverly Earp.”

“Nicole!!!!!!!!”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winding it down now... just trying to work out what i thought was my last chapter (24) really is the last chapter.  
> Bit of a time leap here... because hurting our cinnamon rolls was killing me!!!!

Every muscle in Nicole’s body burned with the strain of the climb but it felt good. Digging her fingers deeper into the tiny crevice, she released her other hand for a moment, dipping into the pouch hanging at the small of her back she coated her fingers in chalk as she looked at her next move up the nearly vertical face of rock.

Leaping and twisting she grabbed a tiny ridge with the tips of her fingers and found a barely discernible toe hold to propel herself higher. She moved faster and faster until she was hanging by the tips of her fingers to the top and pulled herself up and lay on her back with her legs dangling over the edge as she looked up at the sky.

No matter where she looked though, her heart and mind were always elsewhere.

“Very impressive climb, Officer Haught. I guess it helps though, knowing if you slip you could just spread those wings and fly.”

Tilting her head back, Nicole glowered at the man stepping forward to stand over her. “Hello again… Preacher.”

“Please, it’s just Juan Carlos these days.” He held out his hand to her and smiled benevolently as she harshly slapped away his offer and hopped to her feet on her own. “How are you doing these days?”

“That is none of your damn business,” Nicole growled.

“I’m afraid that’s not entirely true. Not if you’re thinking of leaving the Ghost River Triangle.”

Nicole stiffened at his words. “I thought you weren’t allowed to interfere? At least that’s what you told me after Wyatt and Black Badge had you lure me to my destruction and you stood there watching everything they did to me.”

“Ah, so you’ve remembered more I see. I regret that day and my part in it. It wasn’t exactly your destruction though was it, Nicole? After all, you’re still here,” he pointed out with a soft smile.

“Maybe I should rip your limbs off and throw you in the ground for over a hundred years so you can see what it feels like! Trapped! Alone! Feeling my body shutting down and changing over and over again! Losing a part of myself every day! I look in the mirror and sometimes all I see is a stranger looking back at me!”

“And what about when you’re with Waverly Earp?”

Nicole straightened up as though she’d been slapped in the face and took a step towards him. “You leave her the hell out of whatever this is, Preacher. She is _none_ of your business!” she hissed.

“Oh, but I’m afraid it is my business… in a none interfering kind of way. She needs you as much as you need her, Nicole! Both the Earp sisters do!” His voice met empty space as Nicole launched herself off the pillar of rock she had climbed and took flight. “I’m trying,” he whispered to the air around him.

Nicole flew back to where she had parked her car and landed out of sight. Opening up the trunk, she reached past the bags she’s packed three weeks before for an energy drink and a towel to wipe the dust and sweat off her face and arms.

She should have just kept on driving out of the Ghost River Triangle as she had intended instead of going for one last climb but… no… she’d given into temptation, yet again. Just as she had every time she had driven or flown by the homestead just on the off chance she might catch a glimpse of Waverly. That was her real weakness… Waverly Earp. Nicole knew she should leave but she just couldn’t for some reason.

For the most part, Nicole had managed to come to terms with who she was really and was gradually getting a hang of what she could and couldn’t do. She still struggled some days though if something triggered a memory. She had finally got to the point though where she had been able to do a bit of stalking of Wynonna and not felt anything other than regret at not being able to talk to her friend even when looking at Peacemaker.

No matter how far she had come though, Nicole didn’t want to risk a relapse and put any of them in harm’s way… especially not Waverly. God, she missed that woman! Her smile, the way she moved and talked. She missed just been around her, the way she looked at her, touched her. Nicole just flat out missed the woman she loved. But…

“You and that girl belong together you know, I know you feel it.”

Slamming the trunk, Nicole glared at Juan Carlos. How’d he’d made it up to the top of the cliff without a helicopter had been strange enough. Getting down so fast was impossible without wings. But then, Juan Carlos had been alive in Wyatt Earp’s day and the Ghost River Triangle was not known for anything normal. “Leave me alone,” she sighed. “Go back to not interfering, old man.”

“The Revenants are trapped within the confines of the Ghost River Triangle by their curse. You are not bound by that and yet you still haven’t left because of Waverly. Tell me you don’t feel that connection to her. Tell me right now that you don’t feel an ache right here,” he tapped over her heart before she could draw away, “when you think about her.” He could see the softening in the eyes that had once been a bright blue until years in the ground had changed them just as it had her hair. “And tell me that this doesn’t fill your heart with dread and I will leave.” Pressing a finger to her temple, Juan Carlos lifted the veil between them and saw her breath catch as she saw the danger Waverly was in right at that moment.

Grabbing Juan Carlos by the front of his jacket, Nicole lifted, pulling him off his feet. “Where?”

“The abandoned gold mine.” As his feet hit the ground, Juan Carlos grabbed at Nicole’s car and steadied himself as her wings sprung forth again and the rush of air as she took to the sky like a rocket buffeted him. “Thank you,” he whispered to the air once more.

He hated not been able to tell them all more, things they needed to know, but he wasn’t allowed and just asking for as much as he had would come with consequences. They couldn’t afford to be without her, their angel, with what was about to come if the Cult of Bulshar rose again.


	24. Chapter 24

Waverly counted off her remaining bullets and cussed violently under her breath. Even if they had a lasting effect on the Revenants that had her cornered, there wasn’t enough to take them out even with a perfect shot each time. It was only a matter of time before they overwhelmed her hiding place, they knew it and she knew it.

Firing off another couple of shots she felt a moment's gratification as a Revenant let out a yelp of pain. “Ha! Eat shit, shit eaters!”

“You always have such a lovely way with words, baby.”

Glancing up, Waverly gave a squeal of pleasure and launched herself into Nicole’s arms as she dropped down through the roof of the shack she was trapped in. “Oh my god! Nic!” Grabbing her close, Waverly kissed her deeply, moaning at the familiar vanilla scent and taste on her sun-warmed lips. Then, remembering all the pain of her being gone she reared back and punched her in the arm. “Three weeks, Nicole Haught! Where have you been you asshole?!”

“Ow, okay, guess I deserved that,” she smiled softly in apology as she rubbed her shoulder. “I was brooding, climbing and mostly missing you every single second,” she whispered, ducking her head slightly as she ate up the sight of the woman she loved. “I am so sorry, Waverly! It was stupid and dumb and I should never have left like that!”

“No, you shouldn’t… but I know why you did. And if you had just come on in and visited me and Calamity instead of doing all the sneaky flybys maybe we could have worked something out?” She gave Nicole’s shoulder another punch of rebuke. Unable to hold her anger as Nicole’s dimples flashed at her hesitantly, Waverly ran the tips of her fingers across her cheek and her eyes over the tight fitting crop top and shorts she was wearing. “Climbing huh?… explains the tight shorts,” Waverly gave a throaty purr of appreciation as she took in the view from behind as Nicole turned to look out of the window. God! She had missed her so much!

Nicole risked a sneaky glance back over her shoulder and caught the direction of Waverly’s avid stare. One thing to be said about her hopefully no longer ex-girlfriend… holding a conversation kept her on her toes with how she could switch from loving to violent to teasing and back to violent in the space of a couple of sentences. Right then it was heading back to shoulder punching territory with her as Waverly looked up and caught her watching and pointed back to the window even though she had been staring at her ass. “So, how many, shit eaters today?”

“Five and I’m nearly out of bullets,” she huffed.

“There’s at least two more I saw when I was coming in from the other side. Barely managed to sneak by them. Wynonna?”

“On her way… I think,” Waverly grimaced. “Got through before it all hit the fan but the signal is rough up here so I’m not even sure that she knew something was wrong or if she thought I was telling her to get tacos in.”

“Maybe you should pick a different code phrase than ‘tacos are tasty’ when you need help?” Taking her gun out of her holster, Nicole handed a spare magazine to Waverly for her own weapon in the hopes she had distracted her from a comeback punch.

“You were packing while climbing? Always so smart,” she smiled as she reloaded.

“For that maybe… not for leaving you.” Nicole wished she had the time to pull her in close and let her know how sorry she was and how much she had missed her but… movement outside caught her eye. “Looks like they’re making their move, Waves. I’ll draw them off a bit.”

“Nic…” Grabbing her forearm, Waverly spun her around as fear of losing her again rushed through her in a tidal wave.

“Hey,” cupping her jaw, Nicole rested her forehead against Waverly’s for a moment. “Trust me, we’ll be okay. If I could just take off with you right now I would but the trees are too close for a straight shot up and there’s no room to pick up speed. Just get ready and we’ll get out of here together.” Kissing Waverly softly, Nicole looked at her as she stepped back before leaping up and grabbing the edge of the hole and pulling herself back through.

Even with danger looming close, the easy play of muscles had Waverly giving a whistle of appreciation under her breath. She heard the light tread of feet across the main support of the roof and the whoosh and beat of wings as Nicole took to the sky as best as she could with the limited space.

Moments later a shout went up outside, gunfire ringing out in a staccato roar from automatic weapons that had Waverly rushing to the window. She saw only beauty as she watched Nicole swooping down through the trees with her wings tucked in, but whatever the Revenants saw, it had fear etched on their faces and sent them scrambling for cover and just to get the hell away from her.

Sunlight lit the red of her hair as it flew around her face and shoulders like a halo of fire as she dropped down, feet planted against the back of a Revenant as she ground him face first into the dirt. Grabbing his rifle, Nicole brought the butt down with a crunch against the back of his head with a blow that was so hard the gun broke apart.

Bursting out of the shack, Waverly blasted one of the Revenants in the back as he tried to make a move on Nicole. A flash of wing caught him, lifting him off his feet to crash against a boulder.

“Let’s go!”

Rushing to Nicole’s side, Waverly moved with her, accepting her protection when needed and guarding her girls back too. She wished they could just take off but one glance around told her that Nicole was right, it was too risky a manoeuvre with so many guns and trees around now they had lost the element of surprise.

“Waves!” Nicole spun and fired back to pin the Revenants back for a moment before pointing out a path through the trees. “Head that way, baby. When you have to, jump, I’ll catch you, I swear I will.”

Waverly wasn’t sure what Nicole had seen but she trusted her and set off at a full run. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me!?” Waverly nearly slowed but a burst of gunfire slammed into the tree beside her head and set Waverly running faster towards the cliff ahead and the distant rumble of water far below.

It was the longest couple of seconds of Waverly’s life as she launched herself off the edge with a scream. But, as promised, an arm caught around her waist, pulling her closer. The sky above was blocked out as Nicole’s wings appeared and caught the rush of wind. Careful not to disrupt their beating, Waverly ran her fingers across where they joined to Nicole’s body. She loved to feel them move, to feel the strength in them as they flexed and beat.

Finding the road, Nicole followed the path of it until she spotted a familiar beaten up blue pickup parked further down the trail. “I’d better take you to Wy so she doesn’t keep going and run into trouble.”

Waverly knew she was right but… she didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want life and all the nasty shit that went with it to interfere with them again. “I wish we could just keep flying,” she admitted, tightening her hold around Nicole’s neck as righted them for a gentle landing beside Wynonna’s truck. “I’m scared to let you go in case you run off again.”

“I’m done running, baby,” Nicole whispered against Waverly’s mouth as she reluctantly slid down her body and gained her footing upon the ground.

“Haught, damn! ‘Bout time you turned up again, shithead!”

“Hi, Wynonna.”

Waverly grinned as Nicole’s face went through the typical Wynonna related emotions as her big sister rounded the hood of the car. Shyness, a hopeful smile and flash of dimples, the slightest of flinches as though worried Wynonna would attack and then confusion as Wynonna launched herself at Nicole and wrapped her girlfriend up in an unexpectedly exuberant and very tight hug that had Nicole holding herself stiff before it dawned on her that Wynonna’s hug was for real and she relented and returned it.

It all made Waverly sigh in relief, her heart lifting as there had been not one hint of the terror that had been in her eyes the last time she had seen Wynonna. From the moment that Nicole had dropped down into the shack, she had hoped… but now she was sure… she had _her_ Nicole back.

“Waverly and that damn cat of yours have both been driving me crazy with all their moping,” Wynonna grinned as she eased back into Nicole’s arms. “You!” she gave Nicole’s shoulder a stiff slap that made Nicole wince and pointed her finger at her in warning. “Don’t you ever do that to my sister again,” she warned harshly. Her resolve weakened as Nicole’s eyes slid to her little sister and she saw up close how Nicole’s eyes filled with unbridled love. “Yeah,” she stepped back with a faked sigh of exasperation and a very real smile as Waverly quickly replaced her and looked like she was ready to climb Nicole for a kiss. “Okay, you do _that_ for a bit while I phone Doc and let him know you’re safe.”

Turning her back on them and all their soft sighs and smoochy noises, Wynonna grabbed her phone off the truck seat and scrolled through for Doc’s name. Catching motion on the tree line, she lifted her head and gave Juan Carlos a mocking salute. She didn’t know what his deal was, but he had been right about that being the best place to wait. “Hey! Protective big sister here and I can hear everything you’re doing, Haught!”

Wynonna’s blue eyes widened as she turned and saw it was most definitely not Haught doing the molesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is/was supposed to be the end but i can feel my WayHaught muses wanting snuggle time so i'll let them simmer and bit and see if they really do want to play some more.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sisters and girlfriend rebonding time.  
> Hopefully some WayHaught bedroom fun to follow once my muses have stopped Awwwing and giggling -_-

“Hey, Haughtstuff, you okay? Are we okay?” Sidling over to the other woman, Wynonna leaned a hip against the porch rail and watched as Nicole straightened up and turned to face her. The eyes that met hers were calm and peaceful… typical Nicole Haught but… there was a weight behind them from all the things she had seen because of what Wyatt had done to her. “Look… Nicole… I’m sorry.”

“For?” Taking the ever-present bottle out of Wynonna’s hand, Nicole took a sip just so she could see Wynonna’s eyes narrow at her action. As a bonus, Wynonna made an exasperated sucking sound between her teeth but obviously feeling guilty she didn’t try to grab it back.

“Where do I start? You went through the kind of hell you should never have had to because of… of…”

“Wyatt?”

“Yeah,” tilting her head, Wynonna watched her closely.

“I’m not going to flip out again, Wy,” proving her point, Nicole reached out and put her hand and eyes upon the gun, Wynonna was trying to angle her body to hide from her so her friend could see that it didn’t freak her out. “What happened was in the past… and yeah, it hurt, even more so knowing it was your relative but I’ve got the best of the Earp’s in my life now.”

“There’s my walking bumper sticker!” Reaching out, Wynonna timed her slap to Nicole’s shoulder perfectly and made her splutter on the whiskey she’d just taken a sip of. “Lightweight,” she chuckled evilly as she snatched the bottle back.

“You better not be abusing my girlfriend again!”

Raising her hands, Wynonna backed up and made a space for Waverly next to Nicole. Not that Waverly needed it as she moved straight into Nicole’s body and leaned into her instead. “Wouldn’t dream of it, sis… I spent a week in the barn for, ya know, pointing Peacemaker at you. Which I also owe you an apology for.”

“You were protecting Waves… right?”

“Mostly, yeah…”

Nicole decided to let the ‘mostly’ slide. “Then there’s no need to apologise.”

“Nicole Haught! Don’t you dare go easy on her!”

“Waves,” Nicole wrapped Waverly up in her arms tighter, kissing on her jaw until she unbristled. “Wynonna is just being an overprotective jerk of a big sister… as always.”

“Hey!”

“She didn’t know what I was or what I might do… even I didn’t know.”

“I did though!”

“I wish I could have had as much faith in me as you did. If I had then maybe I wouldn’t have taken off like a jerk how I did.”

“Yeah, well you owe Calamity Jane toys for having to put up with ‘Nonna… maybe something shaped like Doc’s moustache, she enjoyed batting that when he was asleep.” Leaning back in Nicole’s arms, Waverly tiptoed her fingers along Nicole’s arms and shoulders and ran them up into the warmth at the nape of her neck. “And me… you owe me lots… and lots… of makeup sex for that.”

“Eww, gross.”

“You,” Waverly pointed a finger at her sister, “hush, or it’s a night in the barn again. With no Doc visits allowed!”

“Haught… help a bud out here.”

“Wynonna,” Nicole chuckled. “Who would I rather piss off, you or Waverly?”

Wynonna gave a nod of understanding. One thing they could all agree on was that Waverly’s ire pointed at them was something they didn’t want. But she couldn’t let the annoyingly cute sappy look on Nicole’s face gave as Waverly rubbed closer and aww’d at her, go. “You are so whipped, Haught!”

“Naw, I would never mark all that pale skin up like that… a spanking would be better,” Waverly muttered against Nicole. Realising, belatedly, that the words had actually come out of her mouth, Waverly leaned back and looked at Wynonna. Wynonna looked like she was stuck between shock and wanting to burst out laughing… though the urge to laugh was apparently winning out every time her sister’s blue eyes travelled to Nicole’s face.

Biting her lip, Waverly looked up at the woman that had gone still in her arms. Her eyes travelled up that delicate throat and the flush of colour turning it from milky white to red as she swallowed nervously. Waverly followed the colour up to where it flagged brightly across Nicole’s cheeks before meeting her eyes. Was that… interest?

Before she could look further, Nicole pulled her closer and buried her head against the crook of her neck.

“Waverly Earp, we will talk about that later,” Nicole whispered against her ear with a half chuckle as she tried to hide from Wynonna’s gaze and the tingle of interest running through her body at the image Waverly’s words had evoked. Nicole had never really been into that kind of play in the bedroom but her body was most definitely calling her a liar right then.

“Well if there’s anything like that going on, put a pair of panties on the door or something ‘cause I really don’t want to be hearing that coming from my baby sister’s room.” Wynonna chuckled at Nicole’s groan. She had done stuff that would probably have Nicole’s dying from shock but it was kind of nice to know the tightly wound and buttoned up Haughty wasn’t as prim and proper as she seemed.

“Last time I tried hanging something off the door you just burst in any way,” Waverly pointed out.

“Well, they were on there forever! I thought you’d just forgotten!”

“Blame, Nicole for that…”

“Waves,” Nicole hissed urgently as she sensed another round of embarrassment heading her way.

“…Just a quickie takes two hours!”

And there it was… groaning, Nicole buried her face deeper into Waverly’s neck as her girlfriend gave a quiet ‘Ooops’.

“Two?! Damn, Haught, damn. I mean, T.M.I. sis, T.M.I. Damn! If I could have found someone like that maybe I would have thrown my whole body into the lady pool instead of just dipping my toes. Damn!”

Nicole lifted her head slowly as Wynonna quietly ‘damn’d’ her way back into the homestead. “Waves… did I take a knock to the head or did your sister just admit to… toe dipping?”


	26. Chapter 26

Lifting her head from the temptation of Waverly’s lips, Nicole tightened her hands on Waverly’s waist and held her back a little as she tried to wiggle back into her. “You want to… what?”

“You heard me perfectly well, Nicole.” Looping her fingers around Nicole’s neck, Waverly tried to get her mouth back but Nicole held herself frustratingly out of reach.

“Yeah… I just want to make sure I heard you right,” Nicole admitted with a smile as she waited.

Running her fingers gently over Nicole’s collarbone where it was exposed by the open collar of her blue shirt, Waverly bit at her lip. She couldn’t help it, that sudden nervous feeling fluttering through her at been asked to repeat her desire. “I want you to… let your wings out while we make love.”

“Nope, that wasn’t what you said,” Nicole smirked gently, tilting her head to get a look at Waverly’s coyly downcast eyes.

Seeing the hint of dimples infuriated and emboldened Waverly. She knew that look and knew she would have to step out of her comfort zone to get what she wanted. “Fine!” Pushing against Nicole’s body, Waverly marched her backwards until her legs bumped against the edge of the bed. “I, Nicole Haught, want to see and feel those gorgeous wings spread out above me while you fuck me out of my mind.”

Waverly’s words enflamed Nicole’s senses. Grabbing the shorter woman around her waist, Nicole lifted and tossed her on to the bed. The move was gentle and controlled despite the fire racing through her veins but she saw the answering blaze in Waverly’s hazel eyes as she took a deep breath and let her wings burst forth, ripping the shirt straight off her back as they filled the width of their room with a shimmer of pearl.

“If you like those clothes you’re almost wearing, I suggest you get them off now before they go the same way as my shirt.”

The soft growl in Nicole’s voice and the heat in her brown eyes almost made Waverly dare her so she could feel Nicole’s strength as she ripped them off her. But… she was kind of fond of them and she had a much better use for them. Sliding off the bed, Waverly kept just out of reach and savoured the heaving of Nicole’s breasts and the slight rise and fall of her wings as she fought to hold herself in check while Waverly slowly, oh so slowly, shimmied out of her clothing.

Every arch of her body, every subtle twist and turn that showed off all that toned strength as Waverly stripped, made Nicole feel like she was going to fly apart at the seams. Her body quivered as Waverly ran her fingers down her abdomen and started working on her belt with a smile that said she knew damned well what she did to her.

And Waverly did know her. She knew just how much Nicole loved to feel their bodies pressed together. She knew just the right amount of pressure to put into her short nails as she raked them across the sweet part where ass and leg met as she worked Nicole’s pants and underwear off to get a softly whimpered moan as they hit the floor with a rustle of fabric.

Dragging her nails across Nicole’s back, Waverly delighted in the feel of those soft feathers brushing across her body as Nicole curved them forwards to brush against her sides in a move that was loving and sensual as hell… or heaven.

Powerful but gently trembling hands lifted her and Waverly drowned in the beauty of Nicole’s loving face as she gazed down into her eyes as she crawled onto the bed and gently lowered her into the mattress in an echo of their first time together.

There was no hesitation this time as they reacquainted themselves with each other’s bodies and Waverly surrendered herself to Nicole’s gentle touch as her wings rose above them, their glow creating a halo of fire from Nicole’s hair as it tumbled around her face.

Waverly tangled her hands in it, anchoring herself as Nicole’s thigh slid between hers and pressed against the cusp of her body in a seductive rhythm that had her body soaring in seconds.

“Not yet, baby.”

Waverly whimpered, her hips canting up as Nicole’s leg shifted away. “Nic!” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what she was doing but words quickly became redundant and impossible as Nicole started kissing her way down her body and Waverly felt her body being drawn tight, spine lifting off the bed as Nicole’s fingers and tongue lapped and teased between her thighs until she was left a quivering mess upon the bed.

Weakly, her hips rose from the bed, drawn by the long swipe of Nicole’s agile tongue dragging through tender folds and across her sensitive clit. Brown eyes twinkled down at her as Nicole crawled back up her body with a thoroughly happy with herself smile on her face. Drawing her down, Waverly moaned in delight as she tasted herself on Nicole’s lips and tongue. “Mmmm,” she purred, “reminded me of something else I want to do while your wings are out.”

“Oh,” Nicole gasped, her hips thrusting as Waverly dragged her fingers between her desire soaked folds and sucked the taste of her from her fingers with a purr. “Well, all for that,” she chuckled weakly, “but these things aren’t easy to lay on.”

“Guess you’ll just have to grab the headboard then ‘cause I want to see your wings glowing above me while I suck the cum out of you.” Waverly grinned in triumph and held Nicole close as just the thought sent her over the edge and she shuddered in orgasm against her.

 


	27. Chapter 27

Dolls blinked open his eyes and gazed blankly up at the bright winter sky. The cold of the thick snow beneath him, covering him, ate at whatever strength he had left but his heart lifted, a chuckle of relief rising up as he saw a shadow pass between the snow-laden clouds.

He had hoped and wondered but until that moment he just hadn’t known if Nicole had made it. At least he could just let go and die happy now.

“Die, Deputy Marshal Dolls? Oh, you don’t want to be doing that.”

Dolls focussed on the voice and turned his head until he saw the shadow of a man coming towards him. The man paused, pushing back his ball cap as he looked up at the sky, drawing Dolls’ gaze back towards the distant sight of Nicole flying overhead.

“Magnificent, isn’t she?”

Dolls coughed weakly, his chest aching as he fumbled for the gun he had lost days before. He had to protect her! “Who- who are you?”

“Calm yourself, Agent. I’m not going to hurt her. I’m here to help you get back to where you need to be.”

“Where I need to be?” Dolls struggled against the man’s hands as he yanked him out of the snow with surprising strength. “Leave me alone. This is where I deserve to be.”

“Oh, I am sure that you have got a lot to make up for Xavier. A lot of bridges to mend with the Earp sisters as well as Nicole. But trust me, you need to work all that out. They will need a dragon on their side with the battles to come and the Cult of Bulshar rising again. And you can call me Juan Carlos.”


End file.
